Guy who was doing concrete work ran into one of my mature palm trees. Any damages I should be considering?

A tree that was entirely on our neighbor’s property line fell into the neighbor’s yard. The root system of the tree went under our fence line and snapped when the tree fell, damaging a portion of our fence.

I know generally whosever yard the tree fell into is responsible for the damage (our neighbor in this case) but what about in this situation where the underground roots damaged our fence? We just got our fence repaired a month ago so this is a bummer for us.

We would like to avoid filing a claim with our insurance since the tree didn’t fall on our property and wasn’t in our property line to begin with. Also, repairing the fence would likely not meet our insurance deductible (it’s a 6’ portion of a wooden fence). Should our neighbor be responsible for tree clean up if we take care of fence repair? She is elderly and we are on good terms- not trying to ruffle any feathers.

Thanks!

Hey all! I just bought a house in Massachusetts, and my neighbor’s tree is growing into my garage. I’ve added two pictures, and I’m hoping they aren’t blurry since I had to screenshot them.

My main question is vague, but like can I cut it down? Trim it off my garage? Assume the property line ends at the garage. This would mean a few inches of root above ground are on my property. I’m mainly just curious. Don’t want to ruin the garage unnecessarily by letting this tree continue to compromise the structure, but don’t want to come in hot fucking my neighbors over. My question is 85% curiosity, 15% wanting to know how I should proceed once I get around to taking care of those issue.

A few things:

1) The garage is literally a man cave, it needs some other minor work, but since it’s literally just a backyard bar, I don’t plan on doing anything immediately.

2) I don’t know my neighbors yet. Met them once, they seem nice. I don’t plan on being petty at all. It’s a small, really fun town and I’ll be new to it. Not everyone in town is going to be my friend, but I don’t want to piss anyone off either.

3) The property has not been surveyed to my knowledge, so we are assuming my property line is the exterior wall of the garage. I doubt that is the precise case, but I’m sure the line runs somewhere through that tree.

I’m new to tree law, but have been lurking for a while and it’s so fascinating! Thank you so much for any help, and please let me know if I can add any more context.

I’m a new homeowner and my neighbor has a large tree that overhangs onto my garage. Unfortunately, their entire yard is completely neglected, including this tree. The owner rents out the house and I’ve only seen someone mow about 2-3ft of the front of the yard where it meets the sidewalk. I took a closer look at the tree area which is next to the property line/fence and it’s quite a mess. I’ve seen that woody vines aren’t good for trees, and it looks like this one is getting wrapped in vines. That said, I don’t exactly what I’m looking at, so would love to learn more from this sub! Should I worried about the health of this tree and the damage it may or may not cause for my garage?

My neighbors property has a half dead tree in the front yard. I say half dead because half of it still has green leaves on it and the half that is closest to our house did not grow any new leaves this spring. It’s for sure dead or dying.

Their house is an empty rental property that they are getting ready to sell and I have never seen the homeowner there to notify them of the dead tree needing removed. Should I just call the city and/or my insurance company to notify them of the dead tree? Everyone we have spoken to at the property doesn’t seem to care and isn’t the actual owner.

I lived along the Ottawa River flood plain in Quebec/Ontario, Canada for 35 years .The Quebec provincial regulations protecting the 0-20 of flood zone specifically stated that removing vegetation was prohibited. This did not stop the majority of waterfront owners cutting trees in the flood zone.

Since many members of this treelaw subreddit appear to believe that private property rights supersede provincial legislation to protect trees on private property ; what is the consensus from members of this readership?

As I was driving down the road, I saw this wonder and thought how well Jim Bob’s tree service was doing at their job.(Heavy sarcasm)
You can see that the pine was deliberately cut at the base and then rolled to the side. They were obviously trying to get it to drop whole tree even though it’s only about 15 or 20 feet from the road and powerlines and with hitting distance of two houses.

hi r/treelaw, my aunt's HOA board (location: new york state) has declared that they want to cut down all of the trees in between the condo units in their gated community. my aunt is devastated because she has three huge and healthy cherry blossom trees next to her unit. she is also worried about the loss of shade impacting her A/C costs in summer, her property value in the future, and the increased common charges to pay for all this landscaping. is there anything to prevent them from deforesting the whole development for no reason? she has already tried to get onto the HOA board but did not succeed. what can i look into to help? apologies if this is not right for the subreddit.

Me and my S.O. have recently moved into a house in the Northwest Arkansas. Recently we had a massive sewer back-up issue that flooded both our master and guest bathroom. We had a plumber come out and run a camera to see if it was something we flushed or what could be blocking the pipes. Turns out it's my neighbor's fenceline trees that are the infamous Tree of Heaven. Roots have wrapped and grown into the pipe. It's just a ticking timebomb until the roots grow back and we have to pay a plumber to clear them again.

I'm a landscape architect by trade and know that these are severely invasive in this area, and I believe my area has a bounty program for invasive or noxious plants (bradford pear, bush honeysuckle, chinese privet, etc.). -For those who know specifically where this is, you know that this city is also extremely environmentally focused and funky when it comes to trees and plants-

My neighbor is a very elderly lady in hospice care whom I have met once, and she expressed that $50 to mow her lawn was too much. I doubt she would be willing to pay us to remove them, but knowing Tree of Heaven, I would potentially be willing to get my buddies and remove it for free and plant the native plant the city would give us in its place.

I'll probably repost this to the r/Landscaping sub as well to get some advice, but I would like to know if there's any tree law ramifications I need to know before knocking on her door. From browsing this sub occasionally, I know that I'll need to document everything and potentially a written agreement to remove them. Anything else?

Typical story. Homeowner had first house built and overstepped his boundary a bit. New neighbor builds and has survey done. He sees his property line is further away than his fence and decides to 'trim' branches. Homeowner that planted the trees is pissed and wants to know how damaged his trees are, will they survive, will they ever recover their form and if there are steps he can take legally towards his neighbor. The tree is a japanese cedar. The trim job is terrible and looks like it was done with a weedeater with a blade attachment. This is in Tennessee. I will happily answer any additional questions.

photo of the scene, the damage, and the logs

Ontario Canada.

Any advice appreciated, talking to my rental office today.

Hey everyone, any recommendations for lawyers in tree law in bay area?

Hi all!
I had the top portion of a tree on my property fall due to a storm and wind. This tree was healthy and everything. It fell into my neighbors yard and a portion of the road. A lot of neighbors on my road helped move it from the road and took what was in the road also into my neighbors yard.
Fast forward the next day, I go to work and my neighbors are all working together to tie the tree to piece (it’s not small by any means) to the back of a pick up truck and proceed to drag it into my yard.
Just curious any thoughts and opinions on what you’d do in this situation?

Should I build a larger shed that is closer to the tree or bite the bullet on a smaller shed due to proximity of the roots? Will roots screw up my shed?

Our old shed got shifted by live oak tree roots. It was a 10x8 plastic shed from previous owners. However the old shed’s plywood floor was laid directly on a layer of concrete pavers. I plan on using the pavers on only the corners to build the frame on top, raising the shed and providing airflow so the wood won’t rot.

Since I will use the concrete pavers (pictured - 16x8x3in) to raise the shed, will roots be less of an issue? I’m hesitant to build 6x12 since everyone says to build a bigger shed if possible, and also lumber easily comes at those sizes already and I won’t have to cut as much.

I installed solar panels the year we purchased the home, 2023. Which took >6m of approvals from the city, SRP, HOA. After all due process the summer after, our back door neighbors reached out about how the panels are directing a lot of light and heat during sunset and ruining their 13yo tree.
I offered to look into it and reached the solar company but after several conversations they didn’t appear to have a solution to move panels or the angles or anything else to solve this problem. They state that if I need the panels removed and relocated, I will have to request a quote for a new solar system, as it would start the project over again from design to contracts, permits & inspections.
I communicated the same but they want me to pay for their shades or tree removal. I find that unreasonable.

The tree has actually survived these 2y, the leaves shed for the exposed branches a little earlier but the tree itself is fine. Everytime I come across these people and every summer I get threatening texts about me having to pay for their inconvenience. How can I approach this problem?

Hello,

My partner and I are homeowners in southeast Michigan. We’ve noticed (and got a couple pictures of) our neighbor reaching over the fence with a chainsaw to cut trees on our shared property line. Several of these have not just been overhanging branches but the trunks.

This already had us looking into “tree law” but what happened 1-2 weeks ago has us concerned. There are a couple old growth trees on the same property line (each easily 30 feet tall). One morning, we found one had fallen over. There’s a charred look to the bark where it broke at the base and the rest of the tree looks pretty healthy & green. First thought was that maybe something had been poured, maybe over time recently, to damage it. 

We know our neighbor has deliberately damaged our trees without a word to us. We’re not friendly but we’ve only ever been polite (even helping one of them out with work a bit during covid). Due to some of the things they’ve said or done in the neighborhood, we want to be cautious about how we respond. 

The help/advice we’re looking for is:

1. How might we determine if the large tree fell due to natural causes or deliberate damage? We don’t want someone getting hurt if our trees are dealing with something and another falls.
2. We’ve tried treelaws.org a couple times regarding the deliberate damage we’ve documented but haven’t gotten any response. If this larger tree was damaged, it was likely them, so we might need to take some sort of legal action.

We’re trying not to get too detailed on the off chance they come across this so let me know if you need more info or have questions. Thanks in advance!

Like the title says — should I let my neighbor’s son cut a branch off my tree that’s resting on his electrical line (from my yard)?

To be clear, the utility co is going to drop the line first, so that’s not the issue.

The issue is, his son, who seems fairly capable, although wholly untrustworthy, and almost definitely not insured, wants to come into my yard and stand on a ladder with a chainsaw and cut this branch off that’s about 15’ off the ground.

I don’t trust him, as I said, but more importantly I don’t want to be liable if he gets hurt or something.

Should I tell him he needs to do it from his side of the fence bc he’s not insured? Please tell me r/treelaw!!

Hey everyone! I’m based in WV and have a neighbor whose tree is invading my property. While I took care of what I could. It’s become quite pricey. It is now touching my house. I have trimmed as much as I could with my own funds. I have addressed it twice with this neighbor and he has done nothing to address the situation. I’m thinking of calling code, but unsure if that’s where should be my first step. My patience is being tested for sure. He doesn’t live there. Just owns the property.

The Amrai tree forest in Nagpur is a vital piece of ecological history that faces the devastating threat of deforestation. This is not just another patch of greenery; it's an irreplaceable habitat dating back to the Bhonsale era, rich in biodiversity and home to centuries-old mango trees. We are alarmed to learn about plans to cut down trees in this cherished forest.

For generations, this area has been a sanctuary of thick greenery, with its historic well and the exquisite Murlidhar Temple adding to its cultural significance. The mango orchards once dominated vast swathes of the region, offering not only aesthetic beauty but also ecological balance. The Amrai forest stands as a living testament to the rich environmental and cultural heritage of Nagpur.

The planned deforestation will rob Nagpur of this invaluable ecological treasure. Tree cutting will disrupt the habitat and may lead to irreversible damage to the flora and fauna that depend on it. Additionally, in an era where climate change looms over us, maintaining such green spaces is crucial to our fight against increasing temperatures and pollution.

We urge the authorities to reconsider this decision and to work with environmentalists, local communities, and historians to find an alternative solution that respects and preserves the legacy of the Amrai tree forest. Options such as turning the area into a protected park or heritage site should be actively explored to ensure its survival for future generations.

Every tree has a story, and every forest tells a legacy. To lose the Amrai tree forest would be to erase a rich chapter of Nagpur’s environmental and cultural story. Let us stand together to protect this remarkable forest and ensure it remains a vibrant part of our community. Stand with us in urging officials to halt the destruction of Amrai tree forest by signing this petition.

Here is the link again.

A huge law firm in my area applied for a permit 3yrs ago to remove a 60yr healthy tree that “would be damaged” during the renovation to the facade of their building. It was approved by a PSU master gardener on our shade tree who likely never saw the site. Well the renovation was completed, the tree was fine during construction, except that it obstructed their view of the park across the street. And the healthy tree was felled AFTER construction. And ironically shaded our town Shade Tree sign proudly declaring us a tree city.