A retired vicar is still waiting on a "better offer" from a care home after worker's mistakenly caused nearly £30,000 in damages to his garden.
Philip Young was left "incandescent" with rage after "three men with chainsaws" representing the neighbouring Cotman House nursing home chopped down parts of his garden in a "genuine mistake".
The work had been carried out to enhance care home resident's view of the sea but took out the nearly 30ft blackthorn tree - thought to be nearly 60 years old - "significant" side branches of two Prunus trees, a series of smaller trees and lots of ivy.
"We moved to our house in 2015 and for 10 years have been managing that area to increase the wildlife. All gone in just over two hours," said Mr Young.
The neighbours are still locked in negotiations more than six months later, with the Felixstowe care home only offering up £3,518 to landscape the South Hill garden with three trees and three small shrubs.
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Mr Young commissioned an independent chartered surveyor to assess the loss back in November, which was valued at £26,250.
The surveyor's report noted that the impact of the garden had devalued their house by the same amount dropping from £525,00 to £498,750.
Mr Young paid £1,020 for the surveyor's report, resulting in him asking for £27,270 from Caring Homes Group in total to cover the incident.
He said: "The latest offer from Cotman House was to do some landscaping for £3,518 by planting three trees of about six/seven feet and three small shrubs.
"Unfortunately, this was not based on the true amount of damage done, therefore we need to hear a better offer from Cotman House based on the true loss.
"In November, we suggested that they might give us £26,250 for the loss of value to our property.
"We paid £1,020 for the surveyor’s report and so we were asking Caring Homes to consider giving us £27,270 to cover our losses."
Additionally, he was also hoping for an extra £3,000 from the group, which would be divided with £2,000 going to conservation charity The Woodland Trust and £1,000 to Cotman House to provide charity talks or entertainment for the residents.
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In March, a 20ft tall field maple tree will be planted in place of the blackthorn in his garden, which is set to be lifted into place by a 100 tonne crane and has cost £5,263 from Majestic Trees in St Albans.
At the time of the damage, passionate environmentalist Mr Young said the tree, in the north western corner of his property, ten metres from the care home boundary, had been home to blue tits, pigeons, magpies and "the occasional thrush".
"It beggars belief that they came into our garden. They said it was a big mistake, but it does not feel like a mistake to us. It feels like we were violated and invaded, which we were," Mr Young said.
He said he had had a good relationship with Cotman House during the ten years that he had been living in South Hill and wanted to restore this fellowship as quickly as possible, seeking "peace with justice".
A spokesman for Caring Homes, which manages the care home, said: “We continue to be in contact with Mr Young and are actively working to reach a mutually acceptable solution for what was a genuine mistake on our part.
"We have sincerely apologised for this and wish to maintain a positive relationship with our neighbour.
“Our dialogue with Mr Young is ongoing and we are committed to finding a fair and reasonable resolution.”
