It looks like my neighbor stump grinded two roots on my Oak tree.

[Anonymous]

Let me preface this by saying that maybe five years ago, this grumpy neighbor wanted us to cut our enormous oak tree down. It is on our side of our fence that is on the property line. We got an arborist out to check on it, the arborist stated that the tree will stand another 100 years. We had him tell this to our neighbor. This is also a neighbor who will pick up a stray magnolia leaf in his yard (from our upwind tree) and throw it with disgust in the street. ANYwho, I knew he had a tree taken down a few weeks ago and a few days ago my husband who works from home says he saw people grinding the stump up. Well today I was out on my screen porch which looks down over his yard and i noticed what looks like two lines of dirt coming out from our oak tree in his yard that look just like where he had his stump ground up. I think this guy had two surface roots ground up! I guess he really wants the tree to die! I'm not sure if I should say something or not. My husband refuses to talk to him. Is this going to kill this tree??

[Anonymous]

I mean it’s his property, so?? He can’t do anything about the tree on your property but why should he have to deal with the roots damaging his lawn?

[Anonymous]

I think he can do what he wants on his side of the property.

[Anonymous]

I became team neighbor when when OP wrote "ANYwho," which indicates that she's more annoying than the neighbor, by leaps and bounds.

[Anonymous]

He can do what he wants with his property.

Your tree is invading his yard.

[Anonymous]

Imagine being op with a nice tree on her lawn and the neighbour just having roots on his side of the fence. Hello! I would get rid of your roots as well, why are you upset about this? These roots were clearly ugly and or ruining his lawn and he doesn’t even get the benefit of having a tree!

[Anonymous]

In some jurisdictions a big old oak tree would be protected, and your neighbor isn’t allowed to harm it. But assuming your town doesn’t have those laws, it’s their lawn to do with as they like. I don’t understand people who dislike trees. I realize they have every right to like what they like, but it still baffles me, given all the health and environmental benefits of trees.

Your tree may or may not survive. You might call out the arborist again to see if there is anything you can do to help the tree adjust to the loss of root mass.

[Anonymous]

If the roots were growing into/on his property, it's his right. Just like he'd be well within his rights to cut/trim any branches over the property line/

You can only control what's on your property, OP. No idea what talking to him would accomplish - it sounds like already communicated his feelings to you before, and you ignored them (that's your right, just as it's his right to take things into his hands on his property side)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Imagine being op with a nice tree on her lawn and the neighbour just having roots on his side of the fence. Hello! I would get rid of your roots as well, why are you upset about this? These roots were clearly ugly and or ruining his lawn and he doesn’t even get the benefit of having a tree!

If the tree’s roots are in the neighbors yard, the tree is close enough that neighbor benefits from the tree too - it cools the air, and cools the neighborhood as a whole. It sucks up run off and prevents wet basements. It feeds the insects that feed the birds. It increases the home values - neighborhoods with old trees have higher home values that neighborhoods with fewer trees. The neighbor gets lots of benefits from OP’s tree, they just don’t recognize it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In some jurisdictions a big old oak tree would be protected, and your neighbor isn’t allowed to harm it. But assuming your town doesn’t have those laws, it’s their lawn to do with as they like. I don’t understand people who dislike trees. I realize they have every right to like what they like, but it still baffles me, given all the health and environmental benefits of trees.

Your tree may or may not survive. You might call out the arborist again to see if there is anything you can do to help the tree adjust to the loss of root mass.

I don't dislike trees, but people often out them in terrible spots. Why should I let my neighbors gigantic tree's roots infiltrate my yard and damage my driveway and walkway as the roots spread and get underneath them? It's also a huge PITA if your neighbor's trees roots infiltrate your water line and destroy it.

[Anonymous]

I'd have the arborist come back out and evaluate the impact of the root grinding. In most jurisdictions, neighbors can trim branches extending above their property as long as it doesn't impact the health of the tree. I would expect roots to be similar.

Of course, if the branches/roots are damaging or likely to damage the neighbor's property, it's a different situation. But, if the neighbor grinding the roots that close to the tree impacts the tree's health or makes it more likely to blow over in a storm, you may have grounds to sue for damages.

FWIW we have a lot of big trees in our neighborhood. Roots/branches from them are in everyone's yards. As far as I know, no one complains. Neighbors do trim branches that extend too far but not to the point it hurts the trees. Most of us have tree roots near/above the surface because the water table is so high. Don't like it, don't buy in this neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

You should not have a tree that large near the property line. He can modify his property however he wants. Maybe he wants to put a garden there.

[Anonymous]

If you learn nothing from dcum, let it be that there are a lot of people out there who truly hate trees and most forms of natural life. Don’t mess with these people, they are nuts. If he damaged your tree from his side of the property line, there’s unlikely to be anything you can do and even if you could you’re only kicking a hornet’s nest.

[Anonymous]

So you all think they should have cut the tree down simply because he didn't like the leaves from it falling in his yard? If so I guess I should cut down every tree in my yard where leaves fall in the neighbor's yard. That will be about 6 trees. That I didn't plant, that have been there for 30+ years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So you all think they should have cut the tree down simply because he didn't like the leaves from it falling in his yard? If so I guess I should cut down every tree in my yard where leaves fall in the neighbor's yard. That will be about 6 trees. That I didn't plant, that have been there for 30+ years.

OP we're not saying we agree with him. We're saying he has a right to do what he want with stuff in his yard. Do you understand the difference?

But maybe he doesn't like the tree for other various reasons - it creates shade over things he's trying to grow. He doesn't like the animals it brings. He's afraid a branch will fall. Or he just doesn't like the way it looks. None of it matters, because it's his right to control what's going on in his property.