Neighbors killing neighbors vegetation

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Kevin G

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It's been widely covered in the news about a prominent couple, using an herbicide to kill a neighbor's oak trees that were blocking their view of the Harbor in Camden Maine. To date the fines and settlement have been pushing $2 million. Contamination has leached into a nearby public park and beach.
Growing up, our house was one lot back from the shore. It was an oversize lot and dad kept a buffer of vegetation along one side. Early one morning he happened to see the neighbor pouring something on a large bush in this buffer zone. Upon investigation, he decided the neighbor was watering the bush with kerosene. From that day on that bush became dad's favorite, received plenty of water and fertilizer. Another neighbor requested that dad cut down a nice blue spruce in the front yard for his view. Dad's response was if you want an oceanfront view, you should've bought oceanfront.
The couple in Camden and the folks that my father interacted with are all part time residents, The behavior doesn't sit well with locals.
My thoughts on the Camden situation is that along with fines and settlement mature oaks be brought in as replacements across the offenders property if need be, and at their expense.
Kevin G
 
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If one chooses to be a deliberate degenerate at least be environmentally conscious. Use copper nails.
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Hope those neighbors get their tails handed to them in a sling.
 
That's pretty poor behavior, for sure.

At my place here in Oregon, when we bought it in 2020, the neighbors had three huge leyland cypress trees that loomed right next to our fence line. These were about twice as high as the houses. The young family living in the neighboring house are renters. I asked them if they minded if I contacted the owner to ask if he would consider sharing costs with me to take the trees out. The renters were delighted as the trees prevented light from reaching their yard and house.

I contacted the owner, offered to solicit bids to remove the trees, review bids with him, and pay half the costs for whomever we selected. He agreed. Got the trees removed. Worked out well for all concerned.

In Hawaii, where I used to own, there are laws requiring owners to allow views across their properties of the ocean. (I.e., ya gotta keep your trees out of the way if someone says they can't see the ocean anymore.)
 
Once, after being out of town for a couple of weeks, we came home and while driving towards the house, noticed sporadic dead and dying shrubs and grass. As we drove up the street, the devastation got worse and began to include large trees losing their leaves. This basically increased to a full kill of all vegetation, and narrowed down and concentrated until stopping with a razor straight line along a chain link fence dividing property.

Apparently a guy put some fully concentrated "ag grade" Round Up (or something similar, this was mid 70's) in a pump up sprayer and was attempting to kill the grass and weeds growing up through the fence. Clearly didn't follow directions, nor paid attention to the wind…
 
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That the Bond woman offered to split the cost of removing the dead trees knowing she killed them illustrates what a snake-in-the-grass she is. Given her profession and connections, I'm sure she has a me-first entitled attitude, and no doubt thought she could buy her way out of any civil penalties if she were caught, and that it would be peanuts to pay for her improved view.
I'm hoping the Maine or federal EPA gives them some jail time for polluting the surroundings and orders a replanting of the trees. Depending on the species, it will take 25-80 years before oaks will amount to much, but if I were Gorman, I'd want that satisfaction just to twist the knife for the Bonds' unconscionable behavior.
 
I had a terrible neighbour once , we were at war for several years
We were at odds over basically everything , including the giant fir tree on "her" property that was actually brushing my house in the wind
I wanted to trim the branches back and she refused to allow me access
There was also the question of our shared fence which was in poor repair
She didn't want to pay half and said it was hers anyway
Well I got a survey company out and had them plot our property line and phoned the city regarding the nuisance tree .
Turns out I can cut any limbs hanging over my property line but if I killed the tree I'd be liable for damages
I went to my neighbour to discuss the survey , I started of by explaining that the fence at the front of our properties was more than a foot onto her land she interrupted immediately telling me that fence better be torn down and put in proper location ! I continued calmly and explained that the back of our fence line was a good three feet onto my property - where all her flowerbeds were :-)
The fir tree was half on our property .
I took the high road , and trimmed the fir gently and told my neighbour she could leave her flower bed
It humbled her and ended the stupid war .
Well she started taking her meds again , that's probably what really ended the war lol
 
We live in a somewhat new community and I pretty much know everyone since I talk to anyone that catches my eyes, but the family that resides across the solid vinyl fence behind me. I don't have X-ray vision.

They have a bunch of 60+ foot mature pines right on the fence line, none of them are mine. I would have had the builder take down every one of them if they were on our property.

Last summer one of the pines was hit by lightning. I knew it was only a matter of time before it would come right on our side since it was leaning that way.

Sometime in Jan, I get a knock on my door. It's the neighbor telling me a crew is coming in an hour to take the tree down and he just wanted to let me know. He apologized for the coming noise and disturbance. He didn't have to tell me anything. He had no idea the tree was damaged until the branches turned brown I guess.

A day later he comes by with a small trailer to tell me some of the branches landed in my yard, apologized again, and he would clean them up. I really didn't notice. It was only a few small branches, and I told him no bother I'd take care of it. He insisted.
Turns out his extended family owned the land our development sits on.
I think he likes that we live quietly behind him with no loud music or gatherings.
We exchanged numbers, shook hands and wished each other well.
Great guy Monty.

I can't even see his house right now, it's off to the far right.

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FRIENDLY NEIGHBORS ON TREE REMOVAL.

Proof that neighbors can agree on tree.

My neighbor is having several trees cut and stump ground.

I asked about the pine tree in his back yard, near the property line.
It is to be cut.
GREAT - No more pine cones in my yard to pick up.

He mentioned that the Gum tree in front yard is also being cut.
GREAT - No more gum balls, porcupine eggs, in my yard to pick up.

As a show of my appreciation for their removal I gave him a $200 donation.

Bekeart
 
I live out in the country in rural Mississippi with no neighbors close by because people suck. Even so, had a new neighbor, from Michigan, buy the 20 acre plot next to mine and he decided to put a fence up with no survey, he just eyeballed it. When I saw it I could tell, by eyeballing it, he was a couple of feet onto my property. I stopped by to talk to him about it, advised him that it looked like his was off a couple of feet. He said he didn't think so and if I was that concerned I could hire a surveyor to check it out.

Well, I ain't hiring no surveyor to confirm he made a mistake. Instead, I backed my tractor up to his fence and hooked it up and pulled about 200 feet of fence out of the ground and dragged it over to his place and unhooked it. He wasn't home so I left a note that said he might want to get a survey before he put it back up.

He did indeed get a survey done and come to find out he was closer to six feet on my property with the original fence.

We don't speak much to one another, but I do give the obligatory polite wave when I drive down the road past his place if he's outside.
 
Puller said:
I live out in the country in rural Mississippi with no neighbors close by because people suck. Even so, had a new neighbor, from Michigan, buy the 20 acre plot next to mine and he decided to put a fence up with no survey, he just eyeballed it. When I saw it I could tell, by eyeballing it, he was a couple of feet onto my property. I stopped by to talk to him about it, advised him that it looked like his was off a couple of feet. He said he didn't think so and if I was that concerned I could hire a surveyor to check it out.

Well, I ain't hiring no surveyor to confirm he made a mistake. Instead, I backed my tractor up to his fence and hooked it up and pulled about 200 feet of fence out of the ground and dragged it over to his place and unhooked it. He wasn't home so I left a note that said he might want to get a survey before he put it back up.

He did indeed get a survey done and come to find out he was closer to six feet on my property with the original fence.

We don't speak much to one another, but I do give the obligatory polite wave when I drive down the road past his place if he's outside.
Click to expand...

Its amazing how much fun can be had debating property lines and right of ways with neighbors.:rolleyes:
 
On our west property line is a large oak tree, dead center of the prop line. West neighbor wanted to cut it down, I did not as it gave late afternoon shade to my 40 x 42 metal building. Said neighbor previously agreed to go half on a barbed wire fence. Showed him the estimate, he nodded said the fence could be placed on HIS side of the tree. two weeks later I had the 500' fence installed. When I asked for half payment, he said no and "get that fence off his property". I had given him 3 full feet of my property on his side of the fence where he needed it most. I then called the fence company back out and had them put the fence on MY side of the tree; and took back the 3 feet and put an ugly rusty corrugated roofing panels right where I took back the 3' which was right at the entrance to his 5 acre property. Six months later he sold out!
 
My neighbor next door is pretty cool, but the next house down is a certifiable nut case, the way she acts. Long story short, he had a survey done. The surveyors had to call the police on the "lady" because she was freaking out on them, too. He had an 8' fence put up. Lo and behold, she couldn't get her mower up to her front yard because of the fence. The newer guy put a fence up also. Funny because she couldn't get her mower up to the front yard! Stupid property lines!! She now has to pay to have her front yard cut! ( People up here are all nice, etc., but we stick up for one another.) Her grass gets up to six inches and the city gets a call! Karma got her good! I don't care if she only pays $1 for a cut, it's just plain funny!
 
There were some entitled jerks in the Seattle area who did something similar to the starting post and did 6 figures worth of damage IIRC. I was appalled that they were not prosecuted. Spoiled brat culture is not limited to 15-25 year olds.
 
Being a tree trimmer I have a lots of stories good and bad with neighbors and tree opinions.

Knowing the laws of my state referring to trees is pretty essential.

One local case was a family moves into a house that the neighbor has a row of 70' white pines that overhang the new guys driveway. Well the new guy hates that these trees drop sap and bird **** all over his drive and cars. He asks permission to get these trees cut down but gets a no as the whole yard is surrounded by the same pine rows and would alter the look and privacy of the yard.

So the guy decides to hire tree guys just to cut his side which is legal in Pa as long as you do not harm the tree. Well somehow it was decided to cut every limb off going to the very top leaving all the weight to the other side of the trees.

Well a storm comes through a few months or so later and like 5 of these trees either break or uproot from the ground. None of the uncut trees were affected. Tree owner feels it was because of the neighbor improperly trimming his trees and making them structurally unstable as all the weight was distributed on one side.. They got a certified Arborist to write up a professional opinion. Well the judge decided on $40.000 in damages plus costs of tree removal and replacement.
 
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