Having neighbors who don't share your values can be difficult, especially when it comes to the upkeep of the local environment.
One resident showed just how tough it can be in a post on the r/neighborsfromhell subreddit, detailing an altercation that ended in police involvement.
"There is a three-foot wide piece of lawn on one side of my driveway between my lawn and the neighbors next door. On that stretch of lawn, I had three dogwood trees which I had grown since they were twigs a foot high," the Redditor said.
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Absolutely not 💯 The original poster noticed "bright colored yellow grass" around each tree and recognized "the same colored yellow grass" in their neighbor's yard. Putting the clues together, the OP confronted their neighbor, who ultimately accused the OP of threatening him, which onlookers said was not true.
The 3-year-old trees were killed by the neighbor, who likely used weed killer on their lawn and the dogwoods.
There are myriad cases of neighbors creating barriers to enacting environmental change. From not liking the look of natural lawns to completely damaging lawns, neighbors sometimes seem to be obstructing environmental efforts.
Still, online communities, such as this subreddit, offer great, nuanced advice that can help those feeling disgruntled manage the challenge.
"You should check in with the r/treelaw sub," wrote one helpful user. "Turns out there is a LOT of caselaw on this topic."
"What that neighbor did was just plain murder," another wrote.
Many suggested that the OP should file a destruction of property report.
"Since the neighbor called the police and lied. You should have made them write a report for the destruction of property and sued him for the cost of replacing the trees," one Redditor said.
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