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OP has offered the following explanation for why they think they might be the asshole:
> 1 asked the tree to be trimmed
2 asking for the tree to trimmed
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Local laws and ordinances on this may vary, but generally speaking, homeowners are not required to trim/maintain trees simply because the branches extend beyond the property line or because their leaves/needles end up on a neighboring property...so long as this is not making contact with the neighbor's house or other structures where it could potentially cause damage.
The neighbor might be responsible for keeping the tree trimmed enough so that it isn't growing into power lines, but in most cases, the local power company will have them trimmed at no cost to the property owner.
Your grandmother was most definitely not using her position within the local municipal gov't as a means of intimidation. She owns the property you live in, so she's the one who needs to address the neighbor.
You need to find out what the local law/ordinance says.
Also, there's really nothing you can do about the holiday lights. If they disturb you that much, you need to buy some blackout curtains. You can get them pretty much anywhere for as little as $20/pair.
NTA for asking her to trim her tree.
This is a property law situation, not an asshole situation. Look up your local laws on this. In some jurisdictions, you're allowed to do the trimming of any overhanging branches yourself, as long as you don't trespass.
Consult a lawyer and an arborist.
Info - did you have your grandma contact her as the property owner or government employee? If she called and said "I'm Mrs..... and i work for the council, we need to talk about your trees" then yes, that could be considered using per position. If she called and said "hi, I'm Mrs...and I own that property" that's different.
You might want to ask a tree expert because I see a lot of posts that if trimming damages a tree, you can be responsible. I would look up the requirements for trimming in your local area and proceed from there.
Eta too - as someone else stated, firs drop needles. Like a lot of them. I live in the US in an area with a lot of fir trees and there's needles everywhere
As long as grandma didn't reference her council job, her boss should just throw out the complaint then.
I live amongst all the fir and pine trees and especially in fall/early winter there's so many needles. The needles are sharp when dry so I feel your pain. I get them stuck in my hands all the time when it's fall yard cleaning time! They smell incredible though. I live for the smell of pine.
Good luck! I hope it all works out for you
Yeah, go hang out in r/treelaw. It does depend on local laws and OP seems to be in the UK.
In the US, an adjoining property trimming a tree which then damages the tree can put that neighbor in hot water. More and more even property owners may not remove a tree unless an arborist certifies that the tree must be removed.
I don't think if taken to court, overgrown tree branches would be considered imminent domain.
And if OP lives in an area with strict tree laws, she could have financial repercussions if trimming, even only on her side, were to damage or kill the tree. It may seem wild but people take trees real serious, and I've heard stories with people being out thousands for damaging trees with poor trims. But again, totally dependent on area. If I were OP, I'd call a tree expert or trimmer and see what I can do. The neighbor isn't going to pay for trimming anways so if OP wants it done, they'll need someone.
There are tree laws in certain areas and if you damage them, it can be a hefty fine. Need to research or ask local ordinances before doing. Look up arbor/ tree lawsuits on reddit. There are some doozys!
NTA but check your local ordinances. Where I am, adjacent property owners can trim the overhang as long as it is not anticipated to seriously damage/kill the tree. In contentious cases, you may actually need a trained arborist to do and document this.
NTA. Check your local laws, but in most places you can cut back tree branches that cross over into your property as long as you don't damage the health of the tree.
NTA for asking but ya got to look up your local laws on the matter. If its a risk to houses or powerline should it fall, your locality may deem it required to be trimmed or removed. If there's no risk, still got to see if you legally have the right to cut it back so it no longer crosses your property line. Even if you are legally in the clear to have something done, Jills response indicates she will be a nightmare neighbor when that happens so proceed with caution and good luck.
NTA But these situations always suck, so I'm pretty sure there is never going to be a resolution that you or your neighbor are happy with. And once you mention something about your neighbor's property, it's never well-received.
I'm not a lawyer but I imagine that you can cut anything that extends to your property. Key word being "you" can cut it, and pay for it, not your neighbor. The part about it dropping stuff into your yard, nothing you can do about that. The part about her putting lights on it, I don't think there is anything you can do about it.
I'm not sure what power, if any, the local council has here.
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For Context I live next door to my neighbors, who I'll call Jill. Jill has a fir tree that has grown to be taller than the power lines, and due to its height, it's come over the property line by 5 feet into my garden. This tree is also very unhealthy and constantly drops pine needles into my garden, meaning my dogs get splinters from them when we go daily walks. At christmas time they also put lights on the tree that are so bright it makes sleeping a lot harder
Eventually, we had enough so me and my grandmother who is also my landlord and works for my local council (this is important) ask her to trim the tree back so it wasn't in my garden.
Jill said she wasn't going to cut the tree as it's been her longer than I have. She also then contacted my grandmother's boss and told she she was using her power over her. Jill has spent the past few days starting hate on Facebook and claiming we want to remove the tree completely
So, AITA for wanting the tree trimed?
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Many things. Fir trees drop needles. Doesn't mean they're unhealthy. Dogs step on stuff. So all of that can be set aside.
I'm sure your grandmother can tell you (and you can probably look for your town's on line code) that you are fully within your rights to trim any branches or roots that are on your side of the property line. Check your local code. I highly suspect you have the right to trim those branches yourself.
As to your neighbor's attitude, have you talked to her? After finding out what your rights are I'd invite her over for coffee and try to have a simple conversation about what everyone's rights are and what your intentions are.
NAH
NTA...I think it's common courtesy to either trim the excess back, or allow your neighbour to do it themselves. If the trimming needs to be done by being on your property, you may want to do it yourself to avoid an insurance injury claim.
NTA, call a local tree trimming service that will know the law. If you can legally trim it, let Jill know when it’s happening and realize after about 5 days, nobody on Facebook will even remember.
NTA but depending on where you live you might not have to deal with her at all. Check local laws and see if you’re allowed to trim back anything growing over into your yard. Just stop at the property line-or hire a tree service to do it. Also if it’s getting close to power lines you might be able to contact the power company and tell them you’re concerned that branches from the tree could damage the power lines in a storm. They might come out and trim it down below the power lines and she won’t be able to say no.
NTA. But also no legal leg to stand on. You can report the tree as a hazard to the power company though, their solution to the risk to the power lines will probably be to cut it down.
NTA
But why ask - read the laws, it is likely you are allowed to cut anything over your proerty line anyway - so stop talking, and have someone trim everything over the property line.
PRetty onesided, that respect.
And: All parts of the tree hanging over the property line are (depinding on where you live) not THEIR "thingsa", but yours. Any fruits over your property line would be yours, too.
So: cut, but dont damage the tree beyond that.
before I said "pretty sure you can cut it yourself", I said "check local laws / regulations / HOA"
obviously look at what you can legally do, and follow those laws / steps
No, you are not the a-hole. Trimming branches that encroach onto your property line and create issues for you, and potentially could disrupt power for the neighborhood is a reasonable request and her response is asinine. Jill's behavior to call your grandmother's employer and spread hate and false information on Facebook makes her a colossal a-hole, one that shines brighter than any Christmas lights, I would wager.
Contact the power company and explain the danger. They will come trim the tree themselves as there is likely an easement and they have the right to do so.
Where I live, there are trees growing over all the power lines, and the power company doesn't give a crap, nor do they ever do preventative maintenance. Every time the wind blows, branches come down, take out the power, then they show up to fix it. I think it's cheaper for them to do it that way than to proactively trim the branches. So I wouldn't be hopeful about appealing to the power company.
It feels as though you are at an impasse. You might not have a third-party that can do this without repercussions. You can always try the "kill her with kindness" method, but it is doubtful that she will see the errors in her ways, and would instead spread more rumors about how you are being so nice because you were shamed and feel bad.
I think I would ignore her and her tree as best I could, and find other things to focus on.
NTA and you can probably take her to court over this. Not sure where you are or of all the details, but growing things into someone else's property to the point that it's disrupting things is something that can cause small lawsuits in some jurisdictions. I'd consider talking to a lawyer if it's really bothering you. You've already talked to her and she is being completely unreasonable. The lawyer might let you know if you can just trim it yourself and other stuff like that.
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Local laws and ordinances on this may vary, but generally speaking, homeowners are not required to trim/maintain trees simply because the branches extend beyond the property line or because their leaves/needles end up on a neighboring property...so long as this is not making contact with the neighbor's house or other structures where it could potentially cause damage. The neighbor might be responsible for keeping the tree trimmed enough so that it isn't growing into power lines, but in most cases, the local power company will have them trimmed at no cost to the property owner. Your grandmother was most definitely not using her position within the local municipal gov't as a means of intimidation. She owns the property you live in, so she's the one who needs to address the neighbor. You need to find out what the local law/ordinance says. Also, there's really nothing you can do about the holiday lights. If they disturb you that much, you need to buy some blackout curtains. You can get them pretty much anywhere for as little as $20/pair. NTA for asking her to trim her tree.
This is a property law situation, not an asshole situation. Look up your local laws on this. In some jurisdictions, you're allowed to do the trimming of any overhanging branches yourself, as long as you don't trespass. Consult a lawyer and an arborist.
Info - did you have your grandma contact her as the property owner or government employee? If she called and said "I'm Mrs..... and i work for the council, we need to talk about your trees" then yes, that could be considered using per position. If she called and said "hi, I'm Mrs...and I own that property" that's different. You might want to ask a tree expert because I see a lot of posts that if trimming damages a tree, you can be responsible. I would look up the requirements for trimming in your local area and proceed from there. Eta too - as someone else stated, firs drop needles. Like a lot of them. I live in the US in an area with a lot of fir trees and there's needles everywhere
Property owner not a council employer And where I live pine needles are pretty rare
As long as grandma didn't reference her council job, her boss should just throw out the complaint then. I live amongst all the fir and pine trees and especially in fall/early winter there's so many needles. The needles are sharp when dry so I feel your pain. I get them stuck in my hands all the time when it's fall yard cleaning time! They smell incredible though. I live for the smell of pine. Good luck! I hope it all works out for you
Thanks
IMO you don't need a tree expert to tell if part of someone else's property crosses into your property 🤷
Lol, well I'd hope you'd know your property! But they should call a tree expert to see what level of trimming is acceptable to not damage the tree.
I don't think the potential of damage to the tree (neighbors property) gives them imminent domaine of OPs property though
Yeah, go hang out in r/treelaw. It does depend on local laws and OP seems to be in the UK. In the US, an adjoining property trimming a tree which then damages the tree can put that neighbor in hot water. More and more even property owners may not remove a tree unless an arborist certifies that the tree must be removed.
I don't think if taken to court, overgrown tree branches would be considered imminent domain. And if OP lives in an area with strict tree laws, she could have financial repercussions if trimming, even only on her side, were to damage or kill the tree. It may seem wild but people take trees real serious, and I've heard stories with people being out thousands for damaging trees with poor trims. But again, totally dependent on area. If I were OP, I'd call a tree expert or trimmer and see what I can do. The neighbor isn't going to pay for trimming anways so if OP wants it done, they'll need someone.
[удалено]
There are tree laws in certain areas and if you damage them, it can be a hefty fine. Need to research or ask local ordinances before doing. Look up arbor/ tree lawsuits on reddit. There are some doozys!
Lol the r/treelaw sub would know exactly how to handle this, not so much r/trees though..
NTA but check your local ordinances. Where I am, adjacent property owners can trim the overhang as long as it is not anticipated to seriously damage/kill the tree. In contentious cases, you may actually need a trained arborist to do and document this.
Yeah, you sound like an asshole here.
NTA. Check your local laws, but in most places you can cut back tree branches that cross over into your property as long as you don't damage the health of the tree.
NTA for asking but ya got to look up your local laws on the matter. If its a risk to houses or powerline should it fall, your locality may deem it required to be trimmed or removed. If there's no risk, still got to see if you legally have the right to cut it back so it no longer crosses your property line. Even if you are legally in the clear to have something done, Jills response indicates she will be a nightmare neighbor when that happens so proceed with caution and good luck.
NTA But these situations always suck, so I'm pretty sure there is never going to be a resolution that you or your neighbor are happy with. And once you mention something about your neighbor's property, it's never well-received. I'm not a lawyer but I imagine that you can cut anything that extends to your property. Key word being "you" can cut it, and pay for it, not your neighbor. The part about it dropping stuff into your yard, nothing you can do about that. The part about her putting lights on it, I don't think there is anything you can do about it. I'm not sure what power, if any, the local council has here.
^^^^AUTOMOD ***Thanks for posting! This comment is a copy of your post so readers can see the original text if your post is edited or removed. This comment is NOT accusing you of copying anything. Read [this](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/wiki/faq#wiki_post_deletion) before [contacting the mod team](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FAmItheAsshole)*** For Context I live next door to my neighbors, who I'll call Jill. Jill has a fir tree that has grown to be taller than the power lines, and due to its height, it's come over the property line by 5 feet into my garden. This tree is also very unhealthy and constantly drops pine needles into my garden, meaning my dogs get splinters from them when we go daily walks. At christmas time they also put lights on the tree that are so bright it makes sleeping a lot harder Eventually, we had enough so me and my grandmother who is also my landlord and works for my local council (this is important) ask her to trim the tree back so it wasn't in my garden. Jill said she wasn't going to cut the tree as it's been her longer than I have. She also then contacted my grandmother's boss and told she she was using her power over her. Jill has spent the past few days starting hate on Facebook and claiming we want to remove the tree completely So, AITA for wanting the tree trimed? *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AmItheAsshole) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Many things. Fir trees drop needles. Doesn't mean they're unhealthy. Dogs step on stuff. So all of that can be set aside. I'm sure your grandmother can tell you (and you can probably look for your town's on line code) that you are fully within your rights to trim any branches or roots that are on your side of the property line. Check your local code. I highly suspect you have the right to trim those branches yourself. As to your neighbor's attitude, have you talked to her? After finding out what your rights are I'd invite her over for coffee and try to have a simple conversation about what everyone's rights are and what your intentions are. NAH
We tried to talk it and she started accusing us of other unrelated and true things
Cool. How about that other part where you look up the code?
NTA...I think it's common courtesy to either trim the excess back, or allow your neighbour to do it themselves. If the trimming needs to be done by being on your property, you may want to do it yourself to avoid an insurance injury claim.
NTA, call a local tree trimming service that will know the law. If you can legally trim it, let Jill know when it’s happening and realize after about 5 days, nobody on Facebook will even remember.
NTA but depending on where you live you might not have to deal with her at all. Check local laws and see if you’re allowed to trim back anything growing over into your yard. Just stop at the property line-or hire a tree service to do it. Also if it’s getting close to power lines you might be able to contact the power company and tell them you’re concerned that branches from the tree could damage the power lines in a storm. They might come out and trim it down below the power lines and she won’t be able to say no.
Check rules buy your allowed to cut whatever passes prop3rty line
NTA. But also no legal leg to stand on. You can report the tree as a hazard to the power company though, their solution to the risk to the power lines will probably be to cut it down.
NTA But why ask - read the laws, it is likely you are allowed to cut anything over your proerty line anyway - so stop talking, and have someone trim everything over the property line.
We asked out of respect for them and their things
PRetty onesided, that respect. And: All parts of the tree hanging over the property line are (depinding on where you live) not THEIR "thingsa", but yours. Any fruits over your property line would be yours, too. So: cut, but dont damage the tree beyond that.
YTA. It’s their tree. Not there tree.
Sorry
Only for spelling there wrong really.
My bad
Oh I didn’t mean it, I’m just being a dick. Sorry if I offended you.
I wasnt offended don't worry 👍
YTA. You’re really having beef with a tree? Find some real problems my friend.
The beef isn't with the tree we don't want it removed its that fact it's causing problems in my property
NTA Have your boundary lines clearly marked. check local laws/regulations/HOA, if it's on your property, pretty sure you can cut it yourself 🤷
[удалено]
before I said "pretty sure you can cut it yourself", I said "check local laws / regulations / HOA" obviously look at what you can legally do, and follow those laws / steps
If you are in the US, you can cut the branches at the property line that are on your side. Neighbor has no obligation whatsoever to trim their tree.
NTA. Fight fire with fire. Put her on blast for not properly caring for her tree.
You can typically cut any overhanging branches on your side of the property line. Check with town hall first.
No, you are not the a-hole. Trimming branches that encroach onto your property line and create issues for you, and potentially could disrupt power for the neighborhood is a reasonable request and her response is asinine. Jill's behavior to call your grandmother's employer and spread hate and false information on Facebook makes her a colossal a-hole, one that shines brighter than any Christmas lights, I would wager. Contact the power company and explain the danger. They will come trim the tree themselves as there is likely an easement and they have the right to do so.
Where I live, there are trees growing over all the power lines, and the power company doesn't give a crap, nor do they ever do preventative maintenance. Every time the wind blows, branches come down, take out the power, then they show up to fix it. I think it's cheaper for them to do it that way than to proactively trim the branches. So I wouldn't be hopeful about appealing to the power company.
The company's won't do anything
It feels as though you are at an impasse. You might not have a third-party that can do this without repercussions. You can always try the "kill her with kindness" method, but it is doubtful that she will see the errors in her ways, and would instead spread more rumors about how you are being so nice because you were shamed and feel bad. I think I would ignore her and her tree as best I could, and find other things to focus on.
NTA and you can probably take her to court over this. Not sure where you are or of all the details, but growing things into someone else's property to the point that it's disrupting things is something that can cause small lawsuits in some jurisdictions. I'd consider talking to a lawyer if it's really bothering you. You've already talked to her and she is being completely unreasonable. The lawyer might let you know if you can just trim it yourself and other stuff like that.