A homeowner in Nebraska was left furious after an unauthorized tree surgery conducted by a neighboring business.
As they detailed in a post on the r/treelaw Reddit community, branches from two pine trees on their property were removed without permission, opening up the view to the business's "hideous" parking lot.
While some of those branches extended onto the neighboring property — which the homeowner noted the business was entitled to trim — others that were clearly going in the other direction were still severed.
"I called the tree service to figure out what happened and they said the business owner signed off on a 'lift' of the two pines," the homeowner said in the post's caption. "When servicing customers, they do not check to make sure the trees they are trimming actually belong to the person ordering the trimming. This was all confirmed by their office. They have the receipt with his signature."
They asked the members of r/treelaw what they should do next, having noted that they already called the police and made a report.
"Recommend you find a lawyer to settle this matter," one user said. "Hopefully won't push too hard ..... dragging you into something big. But enough to cover his costs and earn some respect for you from the business. Good luck."
"No matter what happens, I hope you can block out the unsightly business," added another. "That's a shame. I'd much rather look at green trees than an ugly parking lot."
Trees would provide a natural, beautiful privacy screen between the house and the property. Other gardeners have tried to do this with bamboo, although this is usually invasive and could end up causing more problems than it solves.
Thankfully, the trees haven't been fully felled. They would provide a home for a number of creatures, in addition to a welcome boost to air quality by absorbing harmful pollutants from the air. The natural shading and cooling they provide will also be hugely beneficial, especially as temperatures continue to rise at an alarming rate.
For businesses and other neighbors, unauthorized tree tampering can result in heavy punishments. In Maine, for example, a wealthy couple caught poisoning a neighbor's trees were forced to pay $1.7 million in fines and settlements.
If you're in a similar situation, it's definitely worth contacting an arborist and a tree lawyer to see if you can claim compensation. It might not fully make up for the loss of a cherished tree, but the money recouped will allow you to replace it with a few new saplings and a yard full of native plants.
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