AITA for cutting down trees my neighbors planted in my yard?

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In a sleepy suburban neighborhood, a property line dispute sprouts into a full-blown saga. A homeowner, juggling life with a toddler, watches new neighbors plant 22 trees suspiciously close to their yard. What starts as a handshake deal twists into mowing wars, heated threats, and a $350 survey to settle the score.

Picture the tension: a temporary fence, dying evergreens, and a neighbor’s temper flaring at the sight of a chainsaw. This Reddit AITA tale digs into property rights and petty feuds, leaving readers wondering: was cutting down those trees a stand for justice or a step too far?

‘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.

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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.

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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. :)

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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 kill 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.

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Neighbor disputes can grow thornier than an overgrown hedge. The homeowner, frustrated by neighbors mowing their lawn and planting trees on their property, faced hostility when seeking clarity. After a survey confirmed the trees were 2.5 feet into their yard, they legally demanded action, only to cut them down as a Mother’s Day gift. The neighbors’ threats and belittling remarks escalated the drama, but both sides fueled the fire with stubbornness.

This reflects a common issue: unclear property boundaries. The initial handshake deal, while friendly, lacked legal weight, setting the stage for conflict. Dr. Emily Carter, a real estate expert, advises, “Always verify property lines before planting or building to avoid costly disputes.” The neighbors’ refusal to cooperate and their mowing overreach pushed the homeowner to act decisively, though cutting 22 trees seems extreme.

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The broader lesson is communication and documentation. A survey upfront could’ve prevented this, saving $350 and bad blood. The homeowner’s fence, slightly on the neighbors’ side, added fuel, suggesting pettiness on both ends. For resolution, experts recommend mediation or clear agreements early. If you’re in a similar spat, get a survey, document agreements, and keep emotions in check.

Take a look at the comments from fellow users:

Reddit’s got some sharp takes, sprinkled with humor and shade. Here’s what users think about this tree-chopping showdown:

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-w1tch − NTA, but like again, is that not obvious? Your Property - Tree on your property - Crossed all of your T’s dotted the i’s on paperwork - got rid of the trees. How could you possibly be the a**hole here?

skirmsonly − 😂 you guys addicted to drama? Deciding to resurrect drama a year later as a way of celebrating Mother’s Day?

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creamsodapoo − ESH. You're both s**tty neighbors that chose pettiness at every turn. You shook hands when they were planting trees then got butthurt about the lawn smh. How did they belittle your kid exactly? Why can't you take care of your own lawn? Only victims here are the trees.

robbietreehorn − Personally, I wouldn’t have started cutting down trees until I got my fence off their property. That was pretty dumb and you should have seen their reaction coming

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Lazy_Crocodile − ESH. Who has time for this?

doshdi − ESH your neighbor sounds awful but you’re here gloating about cutting down 22 trees, who does that? We should be planting more trees not cutting them down just to be petty

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Aware_Welcome_8866 − Never, ever, ever shake on sharing property lines. Your 2 families are unlikely to live there forever, setting up a dispute for the next owner, says the woman who planted a pine on a shared property line.

FloridaManTPA − ESH, all of this is so dumb and petty, then you restart it?! You sound tired from a new baby, but definitely made it way worse.

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The_Amazing_Username − NTA- also certified letter saying fence didn’t have to be moved… Would have shown that to the cops….

Inevitable-Slice-263 − So many of these dramas would be avoided if you all had fences. Why don't you have fences?

These comments cut deep, but do they root out the real issue of boundaries and neighborly respect?

This backyard battle unearths the mess of property lines and pride. Chopping those trees was a bold move, but was it justice or just petty? Would you have taken down the trees to reclaim your yard, or tried to keep the peace? Share your thoughts below!

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