Sometimes we have neighbors we can ask for a cup of sugar, and sometimes we have neighbors who violate our trust. One homeowner is dealing with the latter, where the person next door is tossing branches over the fence onto their property.
Taking to the r/treelaw community, this redditor shared several photos featuring what appear to be cut branches. The OP explained, “This past weekend we paid to have all of the branches in our yard removed and taken to the dump. A storm came through last night, and we now have a pile of branches, some with clean cuts, at the base of the tree next to the fence.”
Photo Credit: Reddit
In the photos, viewers can see several medium-sized branches on the ground next to the fence. The OP also showed the additional details of where the branches have clearly defined cut edges. They added, “Is this legal? I thought that cleanup of fallen branches was the responsibility of the owner of the property on which the branches fall, regardless of the owner of the tree.”
Difficult neighbors like this can make it risky to make unconventional and eco-friendly choices. Someone might get upset and claim a compost pile will attract pests. In contrast, someone else might take it upon themselves to mow your pollinator garden. Disrespectful neighbors can even cross property lines to cut trees and poison plants with pesticides.
HOAs can exacerbate issues with neighbors. These governing bodies can have strict rules about lawn length and garden size, all based purely on aesthetics, with no regard for the planet. If people thought more clearly about the ecosystem benefits, they might not be so quick to demonize these choices.
Trees, for example, can help reduce heating costs by creating shade and generally cooling an area. There are studies from the EPA detailing how “urban forests were 3.0° F (1.6°C) cooler than urban non-green areas.”
Tree supporters on Reddit were quick to jump to the OP’s defense.
“No. It’s not legal to throw your trash in someone else’s yard. It’s called illegal dumping where I live, and you can be fined up to 1k,” wrote one person.
Someone else explained a similar experience. “I’ll take this all day, every day. My neighbor threw his piles of dog poop over a shared fence into my yard.”
Another commenter simply suggested, “Toss them back.”
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