Outraged homeowner considers legal action after returning home to backyard destruction: 'I'm sorry they did that'

"You don't pick your family or your neighbor." This was the sentiment shared by one homeowner whose icy relationship with their neighbor went from bad to worse. While the OP was away, their neighbor took it upon themselves to trespass and destroy a massive creeping vine. 

Communities like r/BadNeighbors and r/legaladvice are both communities where folks can ask for help and expertise on how to deal with disputes with the people living next door. In one post a homeowner shared their neighborly drama, "They have taken my wall of green."

In a lengthy post, the OP explained that they had a lovely and massive orange trumpet creeper that covered the majority of their fence. It was a favorite of local hummingbirds in the spring and summer.

Unfortunately, when they went out of town, their neighbor let them know they would be doing some repairs on the fence between their two yards. This did not sound any alarms, as it's their fence and property. However, family members later alerted them that workers had made their way onto their side of the fence and were cutting down their trumpet creeper. 

In two accompanying photos, viewers can see the before and after. One photo depicts a fence almost entirely obscured by plants. In the second photo, they show the remaining stump of their plant, with no greenery left. 

Beyond the obvious tragedy of losing their plant and the additional privacy it provided, the loss of this vine is also a blow to the local ecosystem. According to Greenwood Nursery, trumpet vines are native to several areas in the United States. And while growing native plants is the best way to support native flora and fauna, many types of plants can attract pollinators, including this one. 

As this post emphasized, these flowers were a big draw for hummingbirds. These diminutive birds are valuable pollinators as they flit from flower to flower feeding. The National Park Service wrote, "Hummingbirds drink up to two times their body weight per day. As they move from plant to plant, they carry pollen."

Folks on Reddit rightly sympathized with this poster, coming to their defense and sharing horror stories of their own. 

"When neighbors destroy mature plantings or trees there is a monetary judgement against them in most states. Sue their pants off," suggested one person with an understanding of certain local laws.

Someone else commiserated, sharing their experience with their in-laws. "Reminds me of my MIL … Hires people to trim and cut down a tree in my backyard because she said it doesn't go with the flow of trees … then has the audacity of sending us a bill."

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.

Finally, someone simply expressed empathy, saying, "I'm sorry they did that."

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