A Redditor encountered a challenging situation with a neighbor after a tree fell, and looked to the community at r/treelaw for advice.
The fall of a large pine tree was broken by a maple tree on the property line, which luckily prevented any damage to the home. After calling a local tree service to take care of the situation, they were able to cut the fallen tree and two maples as planned.
The situation got complicated with a fourth tree. The original poster's neighbor had a deep dislike of trees and was friends with the laborers. The tree-cutters claimed that another large maple on the original poster's property had to be cut down due to rot. The original poster wasn't home to confirm or check, but their husband gave approval for the additional unplanned work.
The original poster was unconvinced that the fourth tree was actually rotting and that the neighbor had actually convinced the laborers to cut it down.
"This was done without my knowledge or permission. They told my husband they were doing it but he can't give permission, I am the only homeowner," wrote the original poster.
Mature trees are more than just beautiful to look at. They're highly valuable assets that provide loads of benefits to homeowners. Their shade and transpiration help to combat urban heat island effects, reducing the cooling needs of nearby homes.
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Deep root systems help to maintain soil moisture, preventing erosion. They also help mitigate surface flooding conditions by guiding water down into root systems. Trees help improve local air quality while sequestering carbon.
As great as the benefits are, neighbors can be hindrances to maintaining a healthy yard with mature trees. Sadly, other homeowners have encountered similar situations where trees get cut down when they aren't home to defend them.
The Reddit community was sympathetic to the original poster losing a beloved tree.
"You could try to have an arborist assess the fallen tree and argue that he lied about the rot. Or ask the tree guy where the rot was and try to get him to admit that he lied," wrote one commenter.
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Mowing the lawn 🏡 "Get an arborist to certify the tree was healthy. Get a lawyer to find out what recourse their is." replied another.
"Sounds like you might have a case, but that depends on having proof and both sides of the story."
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