Respecting your neighbor's privacy and independence is a common courtesy in any community unless your neighbor is doing something potentially dangerous or destructive to others.
Neighbors who don't mind their own business can be a pain for this reason, precisely what this person went through when their own property was interfered with.
It started out relatively simple, according to the post on the r/legaladvice subreddit.
A large tree from their neighbor's yard had somehow fallen into their backyard, lying across the hill between the two properties. The crown of the tree covered three of the homeowner's small, flowering trees that had just begun blooming that past summer.
Naturally, the homeowner went to their neighbor's place to discuss what to do. Their neighbor told the homeowner that their daughter would be in touch the next day to discuss removal. The homeowner agreed and went to sleep that night, expecting a call the next morning.
But no call came.
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Instead, all they heard was the sound of chainsaws in their backyard. By the time they got out there, they found someone had already been sent to remove the tree and ended up cutting down their three flowering trees right to the stump.
"What can I do?" the post asks, seeking legal advice on what to do about the loss of their trees.
Trees that overlook property lines can be a legal hassle for the parties involved, especially if one party takes action without the other's consent. A similar scenario occurred in December 2024 in Australia when another homeowner's neighbor took it upon themselves to send an arborist to their yard to remove some unsightly gum trees.
Such an act in the United States could easily result in one being liable to the owner for two or three times the amount of actual monetary loss from the tree or trees being cut.
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"Get a lawyer You can sue for the replacement cost of the shrubs/trees at their current maturity and labor to install. The lawyer will sue both the homeowner and the tree removal company," one commenter said on the post.
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