Few neighborly conflicts are as rote yet disruptive as those that arise over the destruction of trees, and a recent post on Reddit's r/treelaw exemplified how arbicide can sour a relationship with the people next door quickly.
Redditors seeking advice on the r/treelaw subreddit occasionally identify an issue before any trees are irreversibly harmed, but the original poster was not that lucky.
The user explained their family owned property adjacent to leased land used to farm, and that the trouble began when "loud equipment showed [up] unannounced and did clearing along the edges of this field." A few days later, the poster discovered damage far more extensive than anticipated.
They "found the edge of the wood chopped up in what looked like an exceptionally sloppy way." In addition to arbitrarily hacked-off tree limbs and "gouges" in tree trunks, the poster said it "just looks like someone took a giant weedwhacker to the place."
Of primary concern were a "larger elm that's very damaged at the root," and "some locust trees that were a decade or more old." However, the user added that their family was hesitant to commission a new land survey for $3,000 to quantify the damage, turning to r/treelaw for advice on how to proceed.
"Bro, that ain't chopped up. That's bulldozed, what the hell?" remarked one commenter after viewing the carnage in the original poster's photographs.
"Do they moonlight as an axe murderer?" another quipped.
Several commenters advised the poster to invest in a new survey, but one user proposed a different approach. "Contact the original surveyor if they're still around and ask them to do it. It should be cheaper than getting a new surveyor to redo everything," they suggested.
Another user warned that not all farmers or neighbors considered the ecological consequences of their actions.
"I know a few that are fantastic stewards of the land, I know a bunch that are careful but not great, a few that are kind of bums, and fewer still that would bulldoze a children's hospital and their mother's grave just to plant another row of beans," they said.
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Should homeowners associations be able to determine what you grow in your garden?
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Yes 💯 In general, trees are a crucial component of the broader ecosystem, protecting us from carbon pollution, reducing ambient heat, and acting as a natural barrier to things like floods. Carelessness can fatally damage trees, and while forests and individual trees can be replanted, years or decades of growth and integration can't be restored.
One user recommended cultivating a friendly relationship with the neighbors in question, but in cases like this, consulting with an arborist would be a great first step.
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