A Michigan homeowner has been left heartbroken after discovering that their neighbor cut down nearly 200 trees on their property.
The devastated homeowner has turned to Reddit for help after finding themselves in a potential legal battle over the torn-down greenery.
In a viral post to the r/TreeLaw subreddit with thousands of upvotes, the homeowner said their neighbor cut down 179 trees in a densely wooded area of their property. The homeowner said the issue started when the neighbor failed to survey the property.
"He had no reason to believe they were his, as he didn't follow the (drawn on paper only) survey line," the homeowner said. "We were also very clear about not crossing onto our property."
The homeowner revealed they asked the neighbor to stop the tree removal, but it continued. To confirm that some of the trees removed were on their property, the homeowner paid for the property line to be staked. Even that didn't stop the neighbor from removing the ruined trees.
Now, the homeowner is considering settling for $13,000 or moving forward with a full lawsuit. "We are heartbroken about this as we try very hard to maintain our woods," they said.
The drastic bulldozing is tragic not only for the homeowner but also for the surrounding ecosystem, which relies on trees to increase air quality, prevent soil erosion, filter water, and provide homes for local wildlife.
Michigan, where the original poster lives, has a law that prohibits homeowners from destroying, cutting down, or injuring trees, shrubs, grass, and other plants on another person's land. If any person commits this crime, they face a fine of up to hundreds to thousands of dollars or even imprisonment.
The incident is just one example of the challenges homeowners face when looking to support the planet or make eco-friendly changes on their property. Difficult neighbors have been found to often act as a barrier to these changes. However, homeowners can overcome these rows by talking directly with their neighbors or familiarizing themselves with local laws and protections in your states.
Hundreds of Reddit users were left outraged by the tree removal, with dozens urging the homeowner to take legal action and only communicate with the neighbor through a lawyer.
"I am so very sorry this happened to your home, the violation of your safe space has no price tag," one user said.
"I'm heartbroken for you. What a violating act," another said.
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