A New Jersey homeowner turned to Reddit after a long-running dispute with a neighbor over trees threatened to get out of hand.
The homeowner explained in their opening post that the elderly neighbor claimed that a falling branch damaged his car's windshield.
The Redditor pointed out how unlikely this claim was in their post: "Mind you his car is parked 30 feet from these trees. I couldn't even find any evidence of a broken tree branch amongst my trees."
The dispute escalated with a certified letter claiming years of damage and a demand for "removal of the trees plus reimbursement of cost and damages to his property and vehicles or he will be referring to an attorney."
Several of the comments offered straightforward advice about hiring a specialist to stave off any future legal headaches.
One commenter said, "Get an arborist to check each tree and give you a report for remediation. Most trees will probably require some minimal amount of trimming and such to keep them healthy. Get that done."
Another added, "He may do something irrational, like trying to poison the trees so his prophecy becomes fulfilled. You'll want an arborist's report to document their current state in case something happens."
The discussion highlights the difficulties that can come from neighbors when seeking environmentally friendly home solutions.
Trees are immensely beneficial to the individual homeowner and their wider community. They absorb carbon and filter the air, prevent soil erosion, reduce heat, and provide a natural habitat for wildlife.
However, falling leaves can irk neighbors even though leaving the leaves is the best solution. Still, for the sake of peace and harmony, finding common ground is the optimal way forward.
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Yes 💯 A few commenters picked up on the fact that the nature of the dispute was with the leaves and suggested offering an olive branch could be a good way to mend fences.
"He's an old guy who hates raking leaves," one wrote. "Maybe offer to help him? Maybe he has arthritis or some other pain that makes raking really bad, and he'd quiet down if he had help."
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