A recent post on the r/treelaw subreddit sparked outrage — and a whole lot of confusion. The original poster woke up one morning to find that their neighbor had spray-painted their tree overnight.
While the words are unclear, there are visible graffiti markings on the tree trunk.
According to the OP, such incidents aren't uncommon with their neighbor.
"It's not random. My grandma and uncles lived here before me, and they had problems with him, too," they wrote.
Redditors advised the OP to contact the police and set up cameras on the property.
However, the OP wasn't just concerned about their neighbor's disrespectful behavior. They were also worried about the health of the tree. Thankfully, the tree isn't a total goner, although its safety isn't guaranteed.
Redditors tried to offer some help.
"How much paint are we talking about?" asked one user. "What species of tree is it? If it's got thick bark you could shave some off without doing any damage, but it'll look weird."
However, this simple solution doesn't work for all tree species. According to Purdue University, paint can clog trees' sensors, disrupting their ability to sense light changes and inhibiting normal plant processes. This can be incredibly damaging for thin-barked trees.
🗣️ Should HOAs be able to force homeowners to change their yards?
🔘 Absolutely not 💯
🔘 Yes — it's part of the deal 🤝
🔘 Only in extreme circumstances 🏚️
🔘 We should ban HOAs 🚫
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
A citrus-based graffiti remover usually does the trick. Even so, that only targets the issue of the paint. How do you deal with disruptive neighbors?
While this neighbor's motives are unclear, neighbors in general can interfere with homeowners' plans to be ecologically friendly. For example, if your neighbor sprays pesticides on their lawn, the chemicals can affect the flora and fauna in your yard. One Redditor had to protect the monarch butterfly eggs in their yard from their neighbor's chemical lawn treatment.
That's one horror story of many. Just because you're doing your best to help the environment doesn't mean your neighbors are. The moral of the story: Be communicative with your neighbors and firm in your boundaries.
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