Hi! was really just trying to gather some info on the Yucca species and its value but i have been getting lots of great advice! I am adding this post with After photos and my ring cam footage of when they showed up and chopped it all down. As you can see the tree clearly splits my hedgerow that divides our properties.
by Anth0000
29 Comments
That’s f’d up. I hope you get justice.
Posting here since my comment in the other thread may get buried. I work with nurseries across the lower half of California that provide full size trees like this. I’m not sure what availability might look like, but let me know if you’re in the area and I can recommend some people to call for potential replacements.
hit up r/treelaw they love this stuff.
Thanks for reposting. I wasn’t sure if you were just trolling on the original post because who on earth would cut down that awesome tree!? Especially when it’s not yours to cut down. That’s wild they did that, it was a very cool tree. I’m sorry!
What a shame.
Oh hell no
Absolutely insane that they would do this and think you either wouldn’t notice or not care.
Seriously, what a dick move.
I hope you are compensated fairly.
Tree Law does not mess around.
It was a beautiful tree. I feel your pain.
FYI, photo #6 has your house number on it. Might want to delete that one.
Here you go OP. GO GET EM!
In California, you can ONLY legally trim branches or roots from a neighbor’s tree that encroach onto your property line. **You must not cross the property line, trespass, or damage the tree’s health, such as killing it or causing it to become unstable.** You are responsible for the trimming costs and cannot cut branches merely for aesthetics.
Key Legal Guidelines
**Property Line Rule**: You can only trim up to the boundary line, as established by California Civil Code 833 and 834.
**Do Not Kill the Tree**: You may be liable for treble damages (three times the value) if you damage the tree’s health or kill it.
**No Trespassing**: You cannot enter the neighbor’s property to trim the tree without their permission.
**Shared/Boundary Trees**: If the trunk sits on the property line, it is jointly owned and cannot be cut or removed without the other neighbor’s consent.
**Large Trees/Ordinances**: Some cities have ordinances protecting trees with a diameter over 12 inches.
I bet that tree had some serious lumber value. OP, you’re owed that, likely more, and possibly triple the value of a mature tree transplanted to replace (although in practice actually getting triple damages is rare).
The main thing you need to do is attribute it to someone. Do you have record of your neighbor admitting to it? Any more details of the people who chopped it down? If it’s a business they should have insurance.
You’ll need to pay a certified arborist to come and visit and determine the value of the tree from the hole and photos (shame there wasn’t a stump left behind as this may have helped them). Then, you need a lawyer.
What a beautiful tree that was
Had your neighbors ever brought up any concerns about the tree? Have you spoken with them since it happened?
Thanks for posting the additional photos. Wasn’t meaning to be a dick in the other thread but these (especially the last two) are particularly clarifying.
Go get ’em tiger!
This makes me feel just furious for you, I hope you get a fat payment!!
Also it’s extra shitty that they did it when you were out of town. Shame on them
At least the camera caught the license number of the truck. You might want to see about filing a police report and somebody should be able to get the owner of the truck.
Oh they’re going DOWN if that were my tree. I love yucca so much and that one is several decades old to boot
I cannot believe your scumbag neighbors did that shit. I hope they pay BIG TIME. Do not let them get away with this!!!
So what did your neighbour say when you confronted them?? Hard to believe the did this
Please follow up with how this plays out. So sorry for your loss it was an awesome tree to have.
Is the whole tree gone or did they trim it? Do you have a photo from the street with an empty space where the tree was?
That’s gonna cost them a lot of money
That is so damn sad I hope you get justice OP
Is that your neighbor with truck or is it tree service?
RIP to your beautiful tree OP. The comments are mostly focusing on the potential litigation but god damn that was a magnificent life form. Even if you get damages I’m sorry you lost it.
My apartment building removed a single non-native ornamental tree from outside my window over a year ago and I’m STILL sad about it.
UGH THAT WAS GORGEOUS
How well do you know your neighbour? Have you talked to them at all in the year prior to them removing the tree?
I ask as I think your relationship with them is relevant to how quickly you escalate it. It’s unusual, but sometimes people take responsibility when you ask them what happened. Alternatively, sometimes they admit everything and come up with such a stupid excuse that it makes it much easier (cheaper) to bury them in court. Either way, I think between neighbours you should try to resolve it without going nuclear first. That way you won’t feel any regret if you have to go nuclear later because you did try to de-escalate before spending a bunch of time and money.
They might have gotten away with just trimming it to death at the property line, but you are looking at a huge number because they did the whole thing (in CA), this could end up being 100k, I’m not kidding.
Need an after picture of the front
Well the good news is it seems you have all the evidence you need to successfully sue them for some form of damages in small claims court depending on how your local area handles these disputes.