A Redditor encountered an especially frustrating problem with their neighbor and looked to the community at r/neighborsfromhell for some advice.
"75-year-old neighbor spent 6 months ghosting me, then moved our 20-year-old fence line exactly enough to steal my four fruit trees. Claims she's too poor to pay the $200 she owes me but somehow affords luxury vacations and a spite fence," the original poster wrote. "I'm exploring my legal options and/or petty revenge."
The poster went on to detail how they tried getting more information about the proposed new fence but was constantly blocked until it was being built. The neighbor then claimed the trees the OP had tended for decades.
Problematic neighbors can often be an impediment to keeping a healthy yard. Others have had a hard time planting fruit trees in the first place because of oppressive homeowners associations.
Mature trees offer loads of benefit to homeowners and neighbors besides fresh fruit. They cool the area with their canopies and via transpiration, mitigating harmful urban heat island effects. Their deep root systems help fend off surface flooding and prevent soil erosion. Mature trees also improve local air quality and sequester carbon.
Trees are a cornerstone of healthy ecosystems, providing much-needed homes for threatened pollinators, especially in city settings.
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The OP tried to get in touch with the county surveyor, enforcement officers, and the neighbor's surveyor, all to no avail. A property attorney was likely their next stop, and commenters were keen to encourage that route. They noted that even more important was an independent survey. The neighbor's surveyor was apparently a personal friend.
"You need a lawyer and a survey. I don't see any other options really," the top reply stated.
"Get your own survey," another user wrote.
"Money you spend on anything other than a survey is wasted," someone else said.
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