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Homeowner enraged after neighbor gives nightmare ultimatum over their trees: 'Get it done this year or I'm doing it'

"Your neighbor can take a hike."

"Your neighbor can take a hike."

Photo Credit: iStock

It's always wise to avoid making an enemy out of someone who lives right next door to you. However, there are times when it's either that or get trampled on

Reddit user u/lonestar2222003 offered a perfect example of this conundrum in a recent post to r/neighborsfromhell entitled "My neighbor who seems nice wants [my] trees gone." 

The OP described their neighbor as a "golf fanatic" with a "perfectly manicured Kentucky blue grass yard that Tiger Woods would be proud to putt on." This offers some useful insight into the neighbor's meticulous perspective on landscaping and yard upkeep, which contrasts significantly with the OP's.

As the OP explained, there are three trees in their yard that they do their best to maintain, stating, "I trim what I can but it's difficult." That's where things get tricky. 

"My neighbor came over two years ago and told me I should get rid of the trees because they shed into his yard," the caption reads. The OP elaborated on their inability to afford the removal and the increasingly tense back-and-forth that resulted. Eventually, the neighbor said, "Get it done this year or I'm doing it." 

"I really don't mind my neighbors but when people start telling me what to do with my owned property that's not an HOA I get upset," the OP stated. "WWYD?" 

It always seems like nightmare neighbors have a loose and convenient misunderstanding of local law. It's unlikely they have any right to remove trees on property that doesn't belong to them, yet they seem to think they do. Where does such misguided certainty come from? 

The good news is that the OP was not willing to fork over their hard-earned money and kill trees to appease this person. They were willing to make a next-door enemy rather than be walked all over. 

Commenters supported the OP's decision:

"Do not cut them down, future purchasers appreciate trees," one said. "Once they're gone, they're gone. Your neighbor can take a hike."

Should homeowners associations be able to determine what you grow in your garden?

Yes 💯

Only if it impacts your neighbors 🏘️

Depends on what you're growing 🌼

Heck no 🙅

Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

"Talk to an arborist and a lawyer. Find out what the rights are in your area," another suggested. "As for the neighbor, tell him to pound sand until you can afford it or want to do it."

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