Eradicating Japanese Knotweed in Lichfield has been an issue for many residents, as many people have struggled to sell or re-mortgage their home due to the presence of this invasive weed on theirs or their neighbour’s land! What can you do if your neighbour has Japanese Knotweed growing on their land? How can you remove Japanese Knotweed?

Although it is not illegal to have Japanese Knotweed growing on your land, it is illegal to allow it to spread. This means that even though your neighbour has no liability to treat it, you may still be able to take legal action against them, for not only the cost of remediation of the Japanese Knotweed but also the cost of devaluation to yourself. To proceed, you would require a site survey report to be carried out on the grounds, as this will evaluate what the Japanese Knotweed poses to you. This would include whether or not the Japanese Knotweed has caused devaluation to your property or if it has caused any structural damage.

This is imperative when deciding if you would be proceeding with the court option, as you will have an expert report outlining the status of the grounds.

The same would apply to you if you have Japanese Knotweed on your land. It is not illegal for you to have it growing on your land, however, if you allow it to spread, you could also have legal action against you. So we advise you strongly to start the process of eradicating Japanese Knotweed in Lichfield from your land.