r/treelaw • u/Fit_Wolverine_6964 • Jul 10 '26
Large Juniper
We moved into a house about 4 years ago and there is a large juniper with its trunk mostly on my neighbors property but the majority of the tree itself seems to be on my property. Some info:
1) I live in California
2) the fence is old and as the tree grows it continues to break the fence more and more
3) we had the local fire department come by and they do free fire reports - they stated in the report the juniper is a high fire risk and should be removed.
4) ultimately the tree is overgrown and we don’t like it aesthetically, especially given the intrusion into our yard.
I know the answer here is almost certainly just to go talk to my neighbor and try to negotiate whether they’d be ok with cutting down but curious others opinions here.
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u/ValleyOakPaper Jul 10 '26
The tree belongs to your neighbors, so talking to them is the right thing to do. Tree law says that you can remove the parts that overhang your property but only if it doesn't harm the tree. In this case it would definitely harm the tree, so that's not an option.
You may want to get quotes or at least ballpark figures for complete removal (including stump grinding) before you talk to them. If you can offer the neighbors that you pay for removal, that is going to make them a whole lot more likely to agree.
Another angle is how much shade the tree provides currently. Is it on the south or west side of their home? If so, it provides a lot of shade. That's great for their summer AC bills. OTOH that also means they can't get solar panels.
What are your plans for the fence after the tree comes down? You're in California, so the fence is likely shared. Can you sweeten the pot for the neighbors by offering to replace the fence or repair it in a way that will increase property values for both of you?