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Homeowner outraged after returning to find prized property destroyed: 'That's criminal activity on multiple levels'

"Call the cops right away."

One Reddit user shared their father's experience with a problematic neighbor, highlighting how those who live around us can impact our environmental endeavors.

Photo Credit: iStock

A neighbor can be many things: a friend, someone to borrow ingredients from, or a conversation partner when grabbing the mail. Unfortunately for some people, neighbors can also be a nightmare.

In a Reddit post on the appropriately titled subreddit, r/NeighborsFromHell, a user shared their father's experience with a problematic neighbor, highlighting how neighbors can impact our environmental endeavors.

The user explained that the neighbor up the hill had complained that the father's trees were obstructing their view. "Fast forward to last week: my dad came home to find that his Jacaranda tree had been cut down," the user said.

They noted the father has no cameras on the property, so there is no hard proof of who did it. "He even saw the neighbor's gardener walking away right afterward," the user added.

As trees trap and absorb heat, acting as a natural cooling mechanism and providing homes for wildlife, this move by the neighbor was no slight offense. 

Bad neighbors have even made it hard for others to make climate-friendly home additions. By spraying herbicides through a shared fence, burning trash in the neighborhood, and cutting down native plant gardens, taking care of the planet can be impeded by a problematic neighbor. 

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An article by TODAY gives some guidelines for dealing with complicated neighbor dynamics, which starts with clear communication and boundaries, and escalates to legal actions in dire circumstances.

Tons of commenters on the post shared their thoughts and advice for the user who shared their father's unfortunately lost tree.

"Call the cops right away. That's criminal activity on multiple levels," one user said.

Another said, "Who cuts down a Jacaranda, that is insane. Criminal damage to your Dad's property, he should sue."

Someone else added, "Trees, especially mature trees in residential areas in the US, can be way more valuable than you'd think. This is definitely a call to the insurance company situation."

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