Homeowner returns from vacation to discover neighbor cut down their maple tree without permission: 'I am devastated and furious'

It's never fun to fight with a neighbor, especially when it comes to property lines and landscaping. Knowing your local laws could help alleviate some stress in the long run. 

In the r/TreeLaw subreddit, a Reddit user asked for advice on a tense situation with a neighbor. They posted several photos of their friend's backyard, where the neighbor cut down a mature maple tree without permission that straddled the homes' property line. 

"My good friend is currently traveling in Europe and while she is gone, her next-door neighbor [...] cut down the shared tree," the original poster said. 

They added that the neighbor had previously spoken with the homeowner about the tree, and they disagreed on cutting it down.

The OP's friend was devastated to come home from vacation to find the tree removed. They said they intend to sue the neighbor because their property was surveyed in the past, which determined that 60% of the tree was technically on their side of the property line. However, the tree was on the neighbor's side of the fence.

"My favorite place that I've enjoyed for 22 years…now a hot baking environment, all my plants chosen for the shady conditions over decades…all f*****," the homeowner said, as relayed by the OP. "I am devastated and furious."

Neighbors are unavoidable for most people, but you may not get along with everyone. When neighbors aren't considerate of their own or others' property, it can create incidents that affect the whole community. This is usually bad for the environment and can even prevent homeowners from making climate-friendly home upgrades. 

Hundreds of commenters chimed in with advice on the post. Some argued that the homeowner had a strong case against the neighbor. Others felt that the neighbor should be able to cut down the tree since it was on their side of the fence. 

"You'll need an arborist, a police report, and a survey proving it's on your property. Bring that to a property law attorney who is experienced in tree law," one user said. 

"Must be convenient timing eh??" another commenter said.

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"Huge tree in a horrible location, past its maturity, rotting from the inside out. Looking at the dark center in the pictures. The tree was a disaster waiting to happen," a user commented. 

"If the neighbor paid for all of the removal, and it was on the property line [...] and obviously causing them some issues, why get mad about it?" a user asked.

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