Homeowner stunned after neighbor's contractor destroys property without warning: 'Never said a word to me'

Neighborly disputes are nothing new, especially over property lines, noise, and whose dog uses the bathroom where. But cutting down a significant portion of a neighbor's tree on what is ostensibly their property is taking things to a new level. 

"Never said a word to me," the OP said in the r/treelaw subreddit, adding a close-up picture of the recently cut tree. 

"Ostensibly" is the key here, as the OP's property lines were not confirmed outside of a county website. Regardless, it was done without communication or a survey. 

Neighbor feuds are relatively common. A survey conducted by Top Tail Fence from 2024 to 2025 found that 46% of respondents had experienced at least one dispute with a neighbor.

When homeowners associations are involved, disputes are often amplified, if not more frequent. In fact, more and more states are taking action to curb the power of HOAs or eliminate them, as a proposal from a Florida state representative shows. 

Per Top Rail Fence, property line disputes make up 16% of conflicts. Pet or child complaints (17%), parking complaints (19%), and noise complaints (24%) were the only more frequent issues.

These arguments usually focus on plants, gardens, fences, or structures that may or may not cross properties. Unfortunately, plants of every kind usually end up on the chopping block. 

The good news is that most disputes can be resolved without escalation, but problematic neighbors often stand as barriers to climate-friendly home solutions. Oftentimes, this involves an HOA.

For instance, Solar United Neighbors estimated that HOA denials cost Virginia solar contractors $7 million in lost sales over seven years. 

Informal complaints are difficult to track, but under the umbrella of climate-friendly home improvements, conflict is not uncommon, especially when a difficult neighbor can make a report to an HOA. 

How much money do you plan to spend on home improvement projects this year? Under $1K 😎 $1K to $5K 💵 $5K to $10K 💰 Over $10K 🤑 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Homeowners do have outlets, however, especially with more and more states getting on board with anti-HOA measures. 

"First, determine if the case is worth it. THEN get the survey. You might end up paying $3,000 for a survey to win a $1,000 settlement," one commenter wrote. 

Another mentioned one of the most important things for a homeowner involved in a dispute: "Do you have a proper up-to-date survey to ensure that's actually your tree?"

Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.