New neighbor cut our tree branches

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Time for a fence

+100
Funny you said this - we used to have a fence that we took down about ten years ago. Regretting that decision...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would not do or say anything further until you’ve significantly calmed down and the anger has subsided. It is best to act with a cool head in these situations.

These are wise words, but when I read that OP's trees are sheared 10 feet up, my jaw dropped.

OP, you have to live next door to these people for years. So consider your options, but this might just be the start. Get your boundary lines clearly plotted.

[Anonymous]

Reddit Treelaw.

There’s a whole subreddit on this.

[Anonymous]

The tree guy said he knew it was wrong and did it anyway? Coincidentally right after you left?

[Anonymous]

Reddit's favorite topic- tree law. In all seriousness, talk to a lawyer. The cost of replacing the damaged trees with like makes damages astronomical if you sue the tree guy

[Anonymous]

I’d be pissed at the tree guy who knew it was wrong and did it anyway. WTF?

[Anonymous]

And why do people buy houses with or near trees if they don’t actually like trees?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d be pissed at the tree guy who knew it was wrong and did it anyway. WTF?

I'd be over the moon, I like trees, but I'd love to get the fair value of one of my mature walnuts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Curious, do the neighbors benefit from having those lower branches gone? Do they now get more light or air circulation? I can't understand why they'd have the tree guys clear the branches all the way around.

My thought is that they realized how lopsided the trees looked after cutting the branches on their side, so decided to make it all symmetrical by taking the liberty of cutting on our side too. These were full pine trees, and the lower branches provided the privacy screen. Now we have what look like a child's drawing - tall tree trunks with branches sticking out starting about ten feet up.

Lopsided trees fall over. It wasn't wrong to cut both sides of the tree, it would have been wrong to leave one side full.

Also, I see lots of tall pines that are bare at the bottom until 10-15' up. OP will adjust to the difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Curious, do the neighbors benefit from having those lower branches gone? Do they now get more light or air circulation? I can't understand why they'd have the tree guys clear the branches all the way around.

My thought is that they realized how lopsided the trees looked after cutting the branches on their side, so decided to make it all symmetrical by taking the liberty of cutting on our side too. These were full pine trees, and the lower branches provided the privacy screen. Now we have what look like a child's drawing - tall tree trunks with branches sticking out starting about ten feet up.

Lopsided trees fall over. It wasn't wrong to cut both sides of the tree, it would have been wrong to leave one side full.

Also, I see lots of tall pines that are bare at the bottom until 10-15' up. OP will adjust to the difference.

Yeah it was wrong to come onto OP's property and cut the branches off HIS trees. The tree trimmers were only legally allowed to handle the overhang on the neighbor's side.

[Anonymous]

Take better care of your property.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Curious, do the neighbors benefit from having those lower branches gone? Do they now get more light or air circulation? I can't understand why they'd have the tree guys clear the branches all the way around.

My thought is that they realized how lopsided the trees looked after cutting the branches on their side, so decided to make it all symmetrical by taking the liberty of cutting on our side too. These were full pine trees, and the lower branches provided the privacy screen. Now we have what look like a child's drawing - tall tree trunks with branches sticking out starting about ten feet up.

Lopsided trees fall over. It wasn't wrong to cut both sides of the tree, it would have been wrong to leave one side full.

Also, I see lots of tall pines that are bare at the bottom until 10-15' up. OP will adjust to the difference.

The tree cutters should have come to OP a and explained the situation before coming onto their property without permission.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here’s an idea. Trim your trees so they don’t have to. Be a responsible neighbor.

THIS!!!

[Anonymous]

That’s horrible. You need to go to township to see what ordinances are. They vary widely. If it is determined they had no right to cut branches on your property from trees that originate from your property, then you can think about next steps. I assume you could report and they would be fined, or you could go to neighbor and ask for remediation, like they plant fast growing trees/shrubs at their cost or something.

[Anonymous]

Sounds like the trees were planted to close to the property line in the first place. Pine trees shouldn’t be that close and that big they encroach on neighbors yard.