Homeowner devastated after neighbor approves felling of prized tree: 'Get an attorney involved'

A homeowner was left frustrated and seeking advice after a tree on their property was cut down with no explanation.

They turned to the r/treelaw subreddit, explaining they initially thought it was a mistake. According to them, they thought there had been confusion over the property line and that the neighbor gave the all clear for the power company to remove the tree. 

But a surveyor confirmed the tree was on the homeowner's side, and the neighbor later admitted they knew where the line was and which side the tree was on. 

They also have a photo showing that the tree had only been marked for trimming, not a full removal.

"Can anyone ID the type of tree and/or help me approximate value the tree, trying to decide course of action?" they asked, adding, "I have an arborist coming to ID and quote, just looking to take faster action and get a lawyer involved sooner if I am going to need to."

Fellow Redditors advised getting legal help ASAP. "Get an attorney involved," one wrote.

Another recommended getting "an experienced timber trespass lawyer" and asking the arborist to confirm the health of the tree, as that would impact the value of any potential settlement from a lawsuit or insurance. 

Tree law is serious business and can result in hefty damages for people who take it upon themselves to cut down and remove trees without permission. 

According to NOLO, in almost every state, anyone who injures a tree is liable for two to three times the amount of monetary loss. 

Removing trees also unnecessarily negatively impacts the environment. According to 8 Billion Trees, just one medium-sized 10-year-old tree can produce 12,000 pounds of oxygen annually, store 4,000 pounds of carbon, and has the cooling effect of five air conditioners running for 200 hours thanks to conserving water evaporation.   

Should homeowners associations be able to determine what you grow in your garden? Yes 💯 Only if it impacts your neighbors 🏘️ Depends on what you're growing 🌼 Heck no 🙅 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Sadly, neighbors cutting down trees not on their property is a common phenomenon, hence the entire subreddit dedicated to tree law. One cut down several trees in a boundary dispute, while another person in Australia had their beloved trees poisoned.

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