Homeowner seeks advice after witnessing neighbor's disturbing behavior on their property: 'And more threats'

A homeowner asked fellow Reddit users for advice after they said their neighbor came onto their property, cut their plants and made threats. 

In the r/BadNeighbors subreddit, the homeowner explained in a post that the neighbor "came into my yard this morning and cut them at the stem. Along with verbal abuse, and more threats saying 'I make people move out' and so on." 

They added that the unruly neighbor claimed the plants were on an easement that wasn't part of the poster's property. 

After such a disturbing experience, they wondered how to remedy the situation.

"Call the police, he is trespassing and damaging private property. Film him if you can for evidence," one commenter suggested. 

However, the OP said they unfortunately didn't have video evidence to document the plants being cut, but other commenters said installing cameras around their home should do the trick. 

Neighborly disputes are more common than you might think, and they don't always have an easy solution. 

For example, one homeowner found that someone had chopped down 10-12 trees on their property without their permission, and another said their trespassing neighbor had destroyed their family garden. In the first case, the tree-cutting outlaw was never identified, and in the latter, the neighbor denied mowing down the plants. 

If you find yourself in a difficult situation with a neighbor, having cameras set up around your home is probably the best solution since they can't deny anything with visual proof. 

You should also have your property surveyed so you know the boundaries of your home, and call the police if necessary, especially if the neighbor is threatening you. 

Some commenters suggested filing a restraining order against the neighbor to ensure they can't come onto the property again without being arrested. 

Basically, any situation like this calls for decency and basic respect between neighbors. If there is a disagreement, it's best to talk things out calmly rather than take rash actions that could have long-lasting repercussions (such as jail time, for example). 

"Easement laws vary, but utility easement /= public access, and it certainly doesn't mean you can't have plants growing. Call the police and document every occurrence of bad behavior," one commenter suggested to the OP. 

"If there is an easement, it should be attached to your deed in your county courthouse. I'm willing to bet he's lying," said another.

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