A homeowner caught their neighbor poisoning a tree on the property after years of frustrating disputes and drama.
In the r/legaladvice subreddit, they explained their situation, saying it's been almost 25 years of "constant battle" that has escalated to the police having to be called regularly. The homeowner added cameras, and the neighbor installed fencing. However, it came to a head when they spotted the neighbor "spraying something on our tree in the backyard where there's no cameras."
It confirmed their suspicions about the cause of an old tree and several bushes along that property line dying over the years. They turned to their fellow Redditors to ask what their legal recourse might be after speaking with community police, their city, and a few arborists, some of whom were charging $250 for services.
They added they're worried about their parents, who live at the property and are elderly, explaining that "this tree is a fruit producing one so they could've [gotten] sick from the fruit as well."
Redditors in the comments were firmly on the homeowner's side. "Tree poisoning is no joke. It's a crime. And depending on the poison she's been using she could be liable for more damages (environmental)," one person wrote.
Another recommended getting an arborist "as soon as possible. The longer your paper trail dates back the better your chances are if and when it goes to court." They also noted that an arborist could potentially save the tree instead of having to let it be permanently damaged or die.
As many pointed out, the neighbor poisoning the tree is not only unnecessary but potentially dangerous for the people living on the property as well as any wildlife and the surrounding environment. Last year, NPR reported on a wealthy family in Maine who poisoned trees for a better ocean view, leading to a dispute with the community, millions in fines, and still dead trees with an herbicide lingering in the soil.
Neighbors can make it hard to maintain eco-friendly choices like planting native lawns, often reporting people to HOAs or taking matters into their own hands and destroying plants for what they presume are the right reasons.
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