A storm knocked my neighbour's fence panel into my shed. Can I claim against them?

Only if you can point to something beyond the storm itself — a fence they knew was rotten or unstable, for example. If the storm was the genuine cause and there was no known defect, this generally is not a claim against your neighbour, and your own buildings or contents insurance is the more realistic route. Check the policy wording, since storm damage to fences and outbuildings is sometimes excluded or capped even under otherwise comprehensive cover.

Roots have cracked my patio over several years. Is that treated differently from a branch falling?

Yes. Root damage is a continuing nuisance rather than a one-off event, following Delaware Mansions Ltd v Westminster City Council. Once your neighbour knows, or ought reasonably to know, about the damage and fails to deal with it within a reasonable time, they can become liable for the reasonable cost of repair, even if the roots had been growing under the boundary for years before anyone noticed.

Can I just cut back branches and roots that come over onto my side myself?

Generally yes, up to the boundary line, without needing your neighbour's permission first — this is a long-established right of abatement. You must stop exactly at the boundary, cannot enter their land without separate permission, and should offer the cut material back, since it technically still belongs to them. Check first whether the tree carries a Tree Preservation Order or sits in a conservation area, because that changes the position significantly.

The tree is covered by a Tree Preservation Order. Does that really stop me cutting back growth on my own land?

It can, yes. A Tree Preservation Order generally requires council permission for work on the whole tree, including parts overhanging your side, with only narrow exemptions for dead, dying, or dangerous material. Doing unauthorised work is a criminal offence under section 210 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, and not knowing about the order is not a defence, only something a court might consider in mitigation.

Whose fence is it, actually, and does that decide who pays for damage?

Check your title plan for a 'T' mark, which usually indicates a maintenance duty, though HM Land Registry's own guidance is clear that this is a separate legal question from ownership, and many boundaries carry no marking at all. Either way, ownership of the fence is not what decides a damage claim caused by a neighbour's tree — that turns on whether they were negligent, in exactly the same way as any other tree-related claim.

How much can I actually claim, and does it have to go to a hearing?

The starting point is the reasonable cost of repair, supported by quotes, plus any losses that directly followed. Most claims at this scale are allocated to the small claims track, and if your neighbour defends it, the case is usually referred to a free telephone mediation appointment before any hearing is listed — many disputes like this are resolved there rather than in front of a judge.

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My Neighbour's Tree or Fence Damaged My Property. What Are My Options?

A fallen branch, root damage, or a knocked-down fence from next door: when a neighbour is liable, what you can cut back yourself, and how…