A series of posts on Reddit’s r/treelaw community has people fired up about a neighbor’s shady tree removal tactics.
The original poster shared their story of a neighbor cutting down buffer trees along their property line under the cover of darkness during a Labor Day party.
As the poster was enjoying a housewarming gathering with food and games, they heard the buzz of an electric saw. The poster discovered their neighbor clearing young maple and oak trees, about 12 feet tall with 2.5-inch diameter trunks, from the property line.
The poster yelled at the neighbor to stop, which he did, but significant damage had already been done to the tree line.
To make matters worse, the neighbor doesn’t even live at the property but rents it out.
Underhanded tree removal like this doesn’t just rob people of privacy — it also harms the environment we all share. Trees provide vital ecological services like absorbing carbon dioxide, releasing oxygen, preventing erosion, cooling the environment, and creating habitat for wildlife.
Every tree needlessly cut down by a rogue neighbor or unscrupulous landlord means less clean air and water for the surrounding community. It’s a short-sighted move that puts personal convenience over our collective well-being.
In a follow-up post, the original poster shared that while they were away, the neighbor came back and cleared the entire disputed area, violating the poster’s request not to cut any more trees.
“Enough was enough,” the poster wrote. “I paid for a survey and behold!! Have more yard than I knew and everything he cut was on my side. I was planning on just putting up a fence and saying nothing.”
Commenters were unified in their support for the poster and outrage at the neighbor’s entitled behavior.
“You’re entitled to some compensation here; the question is how much,” one user said. “The trees and underbrush were not large and won’t carry huge value. That said I would still pursue a claim here especially if there is insurance available.”
“Make him pay. Otherwise he will continue to act this way,” advised another user.
“It’s trespassing,” shared a third. “Even if the trees aren’t worth much, he came onto your property and destroyed your property. You shouldn’t let him just do that at will.”
The poster is now considering next steps, like putting up a fence and pursuing a claim against the neighbor. But this unfortunate incident is a reminder that we all have a part to play in respecting nature — even in our own backyards.
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