Homeowner shares distressing photos after neighbor's reckless project endangered their property: 'Does this seem like fatal damage?'

A concerned property owner has a damaged tree due to a neighbor's new driveway project. As their post in the r/arborists Reddit forum showed, the work did more than clear a path for vehicles — it took lots of tree roots with it.

Since the tree's support is partially gone, the original poster asked the community: "Does this seem like fatal damage?"

Unfortunately, one arborist in the comments stated: "I see cutting roots for putting in a new footpath, driveway or utilities as the no1 reason for why trees die an unnatural death." After all, removing tree roots is the same as simultaneously removing a person's feet and mouth — those roots provide stability in the soil and allow a tree to uptake nutrients and water to survive.

How did such a hack job on the tree happen? The OP noted: "The workers doing the job do not seem very knowledgeable and have no business 'branding' at all." In other words, the neighbors didn't do their due diligence in finding a careful professional who would care for the property and handle surrounding structures. 

Unfortunately, the OP may have to remove an otherwise-healthy tree due to someone else's negligence. Since the tree owner is "located in the southeast," where "powerful storms" like hurricanes can knock a tree over and hurt someone or damage property, keeping it up may be too risky. They should check local tree laws that vary by state, where the wronged party can get compensation for expenses related to tree injury or non-permitted removal, replanting, and property harm. 

Incidents like this happen often, such as the Idaho resident who lost several trees from a bulldozer working on a neighbor's project. Another dealt with flooding from tree and bush removal.

The OP said in the Reddit post that they "always had a good relationship with the neighbors," so it may be wise to speak with them about the issue to see if they can come to an amicable solution. 

Even with compensation, the loss of a mature tree is significant, as one can supply enough oxygen for a family of four, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. They also absorb polluting carbon while housing and feeding many pollinating species from their seeds and fruit. Property values often increase by 3.5% to 15%, according to Money.com.

Someone in a similar situation replied: "Less damage than this by the utility company killed our 40+ year old dogwood." 

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