Homeowner stunned by new neighbor's bizarre acts on front lawn: 'Went out at like one in the morning with a ... chainsaw'

This wild post on r/treelaw proves that real life is stranger than fiction.

The original poster said that their former neighbor got fined $280,000 for trying (and failing) to cut down an old, government-protected tree.

"So basically an old dude and his wife lived in the house prior and had an amazing lawn that was full of plants," they said. 

After the wife died and the husband got too old to care for the place, they sold it. The new neighbor's first course of action? Tearing up the lawn. 

"Some young kid's dad bought it and they tore all the trees out, all the flowers and bushes, and made a flat, boring, ugly, pedicure lawn," the OP continued. "Well the one tree they couldn't cut down was … apparently like 300 years old, according to the town."

Of course, the new neighbor didn't listen. At first, he tried cutting down the tree himself, only to be hit with a $5,000 fine. 

He didn't stop there. One month later, he tried to dodge responsibility by hiring a company to remove the tree for him. 

His plan backfired. The company reported him instead, landing him a $50,000 fine and a warning from the town government.

This didn't sit well with him. That same day, he "went out at like one in the morning with a tiny gas-powered chainsaw and tried cutting it down." 

Other people in the neighborhood caught him in the act and called the cops, who gave him a $100,000 fine. 

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.

After that, he finally gave up on cutting down the old tree. But the story doesn't end there.

A few months later, he cut down trees on his neighbor's property without permission, all for a view of the river he wouldn't even be able to see, trees or no trees. The OP's other neighbors called the cops on him once again. This time, he got hit with a $125,000 fine.

"The guy and his wife ended up running out of money or something and they moved out a month later," the OP said. 

The neighbor's reasoning was strangely simple — he disliked trees.

Unfortunately, neighbors can get up to some misguided antics, bringing the whole neighborhood down with them. 

One individual had a neighbor with spilled oil and trash in their yard, which could well have spread onto other people's property. Another neighborhood was harmed when a wealthy couple applied strong herbicide onto people's properties without permission.

All of these situations have negative environmental consequences. In the OP's case, the neighbor's behavior shows a toxic attitude toward the local ecosystem. 

Standard, bare lawns, like the kind the OP's neighbor preferred, are actually not so great for the environment. Having only one species of plant in your yard can hurt the area's biodiversity. Plus, they usually require a lot more upkeep, since these grasses aren't accustomed to the local environment. 

The OP's first neighbor had the right idea. Having a variety of plants in your yard is great for local wildlife. Replacing your traditional lawn with native plants or a natural lawn is cheaper in the long run and gives pollinators a much-needed food source.

"Sounds like a great neighborhood to live in!" one commenter said. "And nice to hear the tree company snitched on him."

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