Neighbor Hacks Away at Homeowner’s 27-Year-Old Privacy Trees Without Permission

When one resident returned home from work, their property looked a little different from before they left. This individual experienced a shock after discovering that a large portion of nearly 30 years of tree growth had been hacked away.

On Sept. 29, the homeowner shared photos on Reddit‘s r/treelaw, under the username u/Automatic-Ad8754, after finding that a row of 27-year-old arborvitae (sometimes nicknamed “arbs”) had been severely cut while they were away. Prior to their sudden surgery, those trees had grown into a thick natural privacy screen separating the neighboring properties.

“I was at work and came home to almost half of my natural privacy fence arbs gone,” the Reddit poster wrote. They said the trees were treated every year and had created a private, peaceful backyard for decades.

According to the homeowner, the neighbor wanted to install a privacy fence and considered the arborvitae “unsightly.” The situation became messier still, as the neighbor herself apparently did not do the cutting. The poster said a friend of the neighbor performed the work while the homeowner was away.

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Neighbor hacked 27 year old arbs without permission. They were my natural privacy fence, thick , healthy and beautiful. Now they are sparse and destroyed. by u/Automatic-Ad8754 in treelaw

The disagreement eventually brought local authorities to the property. “I did call the police,” u/Automatic-Ad8754 shared. “The ordinance office came out today and spoke with them and me.” U/Automatic-Ad8754 called the individual who came out “very sympathetic.”

When considering tree law and who has a right to do what, one of the most important factors is where exactly the tree sits.

“The chain link fence divides the properties,” u/Automatic-Ad8754 shared, “So, the officer told me today that if she puts in a privacy fence, it has to go in front of the chain link fence. That is the property line. And she will be responsible for what grows between the fences.”

U/Automatic-Ad8754 did not say whether the property had been professionally surveyed, which can help define the legal boundary and where the trees sit.

Understanding that boundary is important. By itself, a fence does not necessarily establish the legal boundary between two properties simply because it separates the yards. If the homeowner’s location and the exact property boundary were known, state and local laws could help determine what the neighbor was legally permitted to trim and whether the cutting crossed a legal line.

When u/Mk1Racer25 asked, “Did they even approach you ahead of time about trimming them?” the original poster answered with a resounding “No.”

After the homeowner confronted their neighbor, the neighbor insulted the trees. However, they backtracked a bit. “Then she looked into our yard and apologized,” u/Automatic-Ad8754 recounted. “She said she had no idea her “friend” went that far, but they will Grow back. They both told me like 4 times that they would grow back and I was over reacting.”

Arborvitae can tolerate pruning, but how far you cut a branch makes a difference. North Carolina State University Extension notes that many arborvitae develop bare areas inside their canopies and advises against cutting branches back into that older, bare wood because it seldom produces new growth.

Other Redditors had doubts that the trees would return to their full splendor. “My experience with this tree is that it just doesn’t grow back well,” wrote u/AlbertTheHorse, adding, “My arborist let me know what would and wouldn’t work with care, and hacking into it will leave it nekkid. For life. Man, I would be mad.”

U/Automatic-Ad8754 confirmed they were, indeed, “fuming” and believed similarly, writing, “You are right. They won’t grow back.”

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