Homeowner distraught after discovering apparent act of sabotage by neighbor: 'Time to sue'

One of the trickiest parts of homeownership is dealing with difficult neighbors. It's important to communicate and keep the peace in the neighborhood, but some incidents can escalate. 

In the r/landscaping Reddit forum, a user posted photos of bushes in their yard that sit along the fence bordering their neighbor's property. The bushes and grass surrounding them appear dried up and nearly dead. 

"My neighbor has poisoned my bushes," they said in their post. 

"My neighbor sprays something through the fence to kill weeds on her side. It has now seemed to make all of these bushes sick and killed the grass 2 feet into my property. Is there anything I can do to help them recover? These have been here and thriving for over 20 years."

It's unfortunate that some people aren't considerate of their neighbors' property when managing their own yards. Even if the neighbor didn't do this on purpose, it's clear they were reckless with their landscaping, which can be a barrier to homeowners seeking climate-friendly solutions for their homes. 

Commenters weighed in with advice on how to handle the situation. 

"Perhaps it's time to wrap the fence in burlap so they can't spray through it anymore. As for the plants, they may be done. If it were me, I would over water the heck out of the area and cross my fingers," one user said.

"First, I'd have a discussion with my neighbor who would be paying for the new plant and their [...] installation," a commenter said. 

"Your neighbor owes you a few thousand in damages if you care to pursue this. Hire a certified landscaper to estimate the damages and the cost of replacing everything. Then take neighbor to small claims. Include the cost of the landscaper in your claim," another user commented.

"Yeah, time to sue the neighbors. She isn't going to stop," another Redditor wrote.

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