Homeowner baffled after returning to find their property unrecognizable: 'I was never notified or asked'

A Redditor recently encountered a challenging situation with a neighbor that may require getting lawyers involved. They reached out to the r/Surveying community for advice.

They described how a neighbor two properties over from their new home had cut down trees that seemed to be on the wrong side of the property line. The original poster was distressed by the loss of privacy afforded by the previous tree cover.

County mapping data suggested that whoever did the cutting crossed the property line while doing so.

"I was never notified or asked for permission for their work and now I don't know how to handle the situation," wrote the original poster. "We are new in town and the last thing we want is to start off on the wrong foot with our neighbors, but at the same time, I also want to ensure my property rights are preserved."

Sadly, neighbors crossing property lines to cut down trees they don't own is relatively common. Incidents in Ireland, Germany, Maryland, and elsewhere have seen residents be overzealous in their landscaping plans.

Keeping healthy, mature trees in one piece is vitally important. They combat detrimental heat island effects by providing shade, and they sequester carbon and improve local air quality. Trees' deep root systems also protect soil against erosion and retain soil moisture.

The Reddit community was on the original poster's side, though it did warn that Geographic Information System mapping data can be inaccurate, and many recommended a fresh survey be done.

"See a real estate lawyer ASAP," said one commenter. "Your neighbor did damage to your property. The other thing is you don't know how long they have been treating your lot as their own. Regaining the privacy of those trees will be expensive and neighbor should be paying."

"Assuming they really did destroy your property then I think it's as simple as being compensated accordingly," replied another. "Maybe the neighbor will admit their mistake and maybe they won't and it'll take a court action."

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