Homeowner at wit's end after returning home to disturbing discovery: 'You need to find better lawyers'

Living out in the country offers the benefits of tranquility, more land, and beautiful landscapes. But even in rural areas, there are still annoying, entitled neighbors who ignore property lines and commit selfish acts.

One Redditor shared their unfortunate story on the r/TreeLaw subreddit of an unlawful neighbor who removed trees from their property without consent.

"[My] neighbor excavated mature trees on my property without notice," the original poster wrote. "I bought a house with a supposed easement on the property [that] was never recorded on my title or deed to the house, nor is it recorded with the county." 

The OP shared images and went on to describe how they received a call from another neighbor while out of town that people were on their property cutting down trees. 

After speaking to a lawyer, they were told that while the neighbor had no right to remove the trees without permission, the compensation they'd receive from the lawsuit would be negligible compared to the fees required for representation. 

"Is there any light you can shed on this situation or anything I can do?" they asked the Reddit community.

The OP added backstory, noting that the neighbor got aggressive when asked to stop removing the trees, that the neighbor burned the felled trees, and that they also planned to keep removing them.

Invasive plants, hedges, and trees are common topics of disagreement between neighbors, as it's easy for plants to infringe on others' property. 

However, these trees were not invasive, did not impede any pending project, and offered beautiful views for both homeowners.

The neighbor's actions were unfounded, with no justification for becoming hostile when asked to stop the tree removal. 

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Instead, the neighbor should have let the trees be, as they lower the temperature of the surrounding land, absorb carbon dioxide from the air, and provide a safe habitat for pollinators such as birds, insects, and squirrels.

Redditors were quick to suggest finding different legal advice and to prepare to fight for their rights.

"You need to find better lawyers," a Redditor commented. "Find a certified arborist. … Next time the neighbors are on your property, call local law enforcement."

"Even if the other party has no money … they own land which can be forced to be sold if you win, so you may just end up expanding your property," another advised. "Those trees look expensive.

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