A family in the state of Washington has been forced to resort to legal action after a neighbor infringed upon their property.
YouTuber HardWayLearnt (@hardwaylearnt) posted an 18-plus-minute video on his channel explaining that he filed a lawsuit against a neighbor who cut down a massive number of trees on his family's dream property.
He wrote in the caption that his family was "left reeling from the discovery" that "hundreds of trees were taken without permission from their land," on which they have yet to begin building their home. He added that this violation is "a serious obstacle to" his family's plans for building their dream home.
The YouTuber explained that he and a friend happened to be flying a drone over the area when they discovered that the property line was not observed by the neighbor. He provided footage showing numerous stumps left behind in the area left bare.
The neighbor allegedly didn't have a survey conducted before they began their egregious tree removal. To make matters worse, the YouTuber said it wasn't difficult to find out where the property lines were and the neighbor ended up removing more trees from his property than their own.
He said an estimated 150 to 200 feet of trees were cut from what would've been the view from the west side of his family's house, and he counted the rings on the stumps and found that many of the trees were over 100 years old.
Naturally, commenters sided with the YouTuber and expressed their sympathies for the unnecessary destruction of their property.
"OMG this makes me sick! So sorry this happened," one user wrote. "It isn't just the financial loss, it's the loss of wildlife and health from no longer having a restful forest to walk in and enjoy."
"Man, I'm so sorry for your loss. The heartbreak and pain is evidenced in your voice and words," another stated. "Crowdfund the legal expenses if you have to, but keep suing this awful neighbor and make them miserable until financial amends have been made. They stole something from you that you'll never get back in your lifetime."
Indeed, unlawfully removing trees from someone else's property can be costly. For example, a homeowner in New Jersey who cut down 32 trees on a neighbor's land for a better view of New York City was fined $1,000 per tree, and that was without factoring in the additional steep costs of replacing mature trees.
Other homeowners have struggled with neighbors planting invasive species that can quickly outcompete beneficial native plants and even cause property damage.
If you find yourself in a similar situation, it's important to check local regulations and perhaps seek legal advice to understand your options.
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