06/04/2026
#
AITA for cutting down trees my neighbors planted in my yard?
Over a year ago, our new neighbors, we'll call them Mr. and Mrs. Short, planted trees in what I thought might be my yard.
I wasn't totally sure where the property line was, but we shook hands and agreed that if the trees ended up being on my side, they'd sign them over to us. No big deal I really didn't care much at the time. Also since they were mid way through planting 22 trees they made me feel like moving them wasn't an option anyways.
Over the next months, they started mowing what was defiantly my yard, between my house and the trees. Then one Saturday, they even mowed in front of my house and along the sidewalk leaving me with a half-mowed yard. It kinda felt like they were forcing me to finish it, even though I had other plans that day.
I was tired of them encroaching on my property. That Sunday morning, I knocked on their door and asked if we could get something in writing about the trees, or they'd need to move them. Instead of working with me, I got hit with straight hostility, unwillingness, and even threats.
So later that week, I put up a temporary fence around the trees to stop them from crossing onto my property. (Skipping some of the threats, police involvement, and interactions from them here.) We ended up spending $350 on a survey not easy for us financially, especially with a 6-7-month-old baby at the time. The surveyor showed us that the property line runs between the trees and the fence.
So to clarify: the 22 trees are about 2.5 feet into my yard, and my temp fence is actually 6 8 inches into theirs. We sent them a certified legal document giving them 30 days to either move the trees or officially sign them over. On day 29, we got a certified letter back saying the trees are ours and that the fence didn't need to be moved.
Fast forward six month or so to May-my wife wants the trees gone as a Mother's Day gift because they're just an ugly reminder of all the drama. We take down two trees, and suddenly Mr. Short is at the fence, demanding that I move my it by Sunday, it's Friday afternoon.
He starts pulling on the fence, getting heated, and being completely unreasonable. I got a video of this, it's not enough to count as a crime but proof of his temper and outrage. Mr.
Short constantly makes threats then follows it with 'THAT'S THAT LAW,' and insists we call the cops. At this point both of them are belittling not just me and my wife but also our now almost 18-month-old child. While we are waiting for the cops.
Things I can mention them saying are 'how do you sleep at night'and 'I hope your child doesn't follow in your footsteps' or something along those lines. Police come up with the resolution for me to move my fence in 30 days. Totally fine, I should have done it before but the bushy trees made moving the wire fence even more of a pain.
They are all gone now though. :) Edit: These trees were planted under ginormous Indian bean trees that kept the 2-3ft evergreen shrubs/trees shaded all day. Most of them were dying from little sun and either some kind of mite or disease.
They were not planted in a straight line either. Transferring them would likely k__l them, also leave me with holes in my yard as Mr. Short took all the dirt from the holes.
I don't hate trees just dumb people who don't know what they're doing. They kept acting like it was my job to tell them before they planted trees on my property. But in my opinion, it's their responsibility to know their own property boundaries not mine.
