A Redditor was having some problems with a neighbor's building project, and went to the community at r/treelaw. 

"Neighbor came onto my property and pruned up my pine trees," wrote the original poster, alongside some photos of the damage. "I woke up one day, and I noticed all of the tress had holes in the hedge, so I spent the money to get it surveyed prior to approaching him on the matter." 

"At this point, now I'm stuck looking at this new shed he built instead of my trees. … I frequently trim them on my side but you only take a few feet off and then the limbs will naturally rise. Unfortunately he's chopped them up 6-8 feet and now we are stuck with this."

Neighbors can routinely become impediments to healthy green space, and often enough will cross property lines in their zeal for tree management.  

Having a rich, native garden with mature trees does a lot more than provide a nice view. Deep and varied root systems can help retain moisture and mitigate surface flooding conditions, which prevents erosion. Trees improve local air quality while sequestering carbon. Their shade and transportation also combat heat Island effects. 

Clear communication between neighbors ensures those on both sides continue to enjoy all these benefits. 

Reddit community members had a wealth of advice for the original poster trying to figure out what to do about his pruned pines. In particular, they pushed back on the original poster's idea of cutting down the trees altogether and putting up a fence instead. 

"Plant another line of plants to obscure the shed. Don't cut down those trees," wrote the top-voted commenter. 

"I planted laurels two years ago to fill voids the neighbor made. They easily doubled in size this summer," replied another. "Makes a huge difference. Rather than cutting down what you have, adding several new plantings will break the line of the shed and immediately have some positive impact."

What's the hardest thing about taking care of your yard? Mowing the lawn 🏡 Controlling weeds 🌿 Keeping pests at bay 🐿️ I don't have a yard 🤷 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips to save more, waste less, and make smarter choices — and earn up to $5,000 toward clean upgrades in TCD's exclusive Rewards Club.