Homeowner calls cops on neighbor who cut down 11 of their 30-year-old trees: 'This is going to be very expensive for him'

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Jun 7, 2026 3:15 PM EDT

This person is getting back at their neighbor, on behalf of the 11 trees he removed without their knowledge. 

That's right: after this person's trees had been happily living on their property for more than 3 decades, their trespassing neighbor decided to uproot them. 

He chose 5 walnut trees and 6 oak trees. But why would he do such a thing in the first place? 

Trees are hard to replace once they've been chopped down. It's not like you can just go out to the forest and uproot a different 30-year-old tree and plop it down on your property. That was a living thing that has been turned into mulch by now. 

So, this person turned to r/treelaw, seeking help. 

Their entire story is just jaw-dropping. And according to commenters, they may just have a case against their tree-chopping neighbor. 

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  • Representation of yard with dozens of tall trees.
    via Trumane Alvin Damasco

    Representation of yard with dozens of tall trees. 

  • New neighbor cut down 5 mature walnuts and 6 mature oaks utilizing on X hunting app

    My new neighbor trespassed onto my acreage and cut down 5 mature black walnut trees and 6 mature oak trees. The trees are all well over 30 years old, at least. He was using the GPS onX hunting app. I filed a police report and hired a surveyor. The land has been in my family for 6 generations.
    via Atomic_Ash182
  • The officer talked to him and informed him to stop trespassing. The property line is very old, foliage dense, and has never been mapped out. I haven't received the survey yet. I did hike the boundary and photographed everything including the stakes my surveyor placed. I also sprayed purple paint in line with the stakes. This is in a state and county where purple paint laws are strict and enforceable.
    via Atomic_Ash182
  • Neighbor confronts the man who took down 11 of their trees, in a representation by models.
    via Nathan Anderson

    Neighbor confronts the man who took down 11 of their trees, in a representation by models.

  • This guy sounds insane

    I was going to let it go and try to stay on good terms with this neighbor BUT, when I was hiking, he stopped his vehicle on the road and proceeded to scream at me. I have never been spoken to so hatefully in my adult life. I was so shocked that I didn't even think about recording the interaction. He scared me, tbh. No threats but he was very vocal about his displeasure with the police visit.
    via Atomic_Ash182

    Some people can't handle being told no! Even when they're in the wrong, they still just won't hear it. And uh… he clearly is wrong. He's the new guy here! He's the one who took it upon himself to alter someone else's property, and now he's paying the price for it.

  • I'd like to pursue litigation as he is a and those trees were quite old. I will not let this man push me around. He claimed he had a survey done, but there were no other stakes and he refused to send me a copy. He has placed a post in my field and cut a logging road up to my property.
    via Atomic_Ash182
  • Houses with a massive tree outside, providing shade, before a neighbor cuts them down, in a representative photo.
    via Oleksandr Kurchev

    Houses with a massive tree outside, providing shade, before a neighbor cuts them down, in a representative photo. 

  • He's only owned this spot for about 2 years!

    I live in another state and am not quite sure how to proceed. Thanks for any advice and sympathy. Edit: For context, this is about 40 acres of undeveloped forest/ hay field in the middle of nowhere and this man just bought the adjacent 300 acre farm in 2024. Very rural, and I learned about this from a neighbor I like in February. I visited the land in
    via Atomic_Ash182

    And bro has 300 other acres he could be hanging out in. He could be taking down trees literally anywhere else, so his choice of a tree-removal spot is really telling. 

  • March where I photographed everything and got chewed on by the tree cutter. I still haven't received my formal survey results and was hesitant on the next steps because I can't actually prove where exactly the true line is until I have it and the cop implied this wasn't a big deal on the phone.
    via Atomic_Ash182
  • The homeowner explains to the neighbor that they've called the cops on them, in a representation by a couple of models.
    via Nathan Anderson

    The homeowner explains to the neighbor that they've called the cops on them, in a representation by a couple of models.

  • Per my friendly neighbor and visual inspection, the survey line (judging by the stakes) has gained me around 50 yards from his land where our properties touch. I plan to install a three strand barbed wire fence in the areas that touch anyone else's property, once I have the survey.
    via Atomic_Ash182

  • People could not believe the audacity of this fellow

    Lugbor Find a lawyer experienced with this kind of case and get an assessment by a consulting arborist (not a tree guy, a licensed consulting arborist). Take the neighbor to court for everything you're owed.
    via Lugbor
  • Allonsydr1 He he the nerve to scream at you after destroying your property? Get an arborist sue him and after you have the assessed damages amount go and supplement the police report and request charges be filed.
    via Allonsydr1

    This seems like it could be a clear case, right? He cut down the trees, authorities noted that, and then he screamed at this person, berating them for something he literally did. Sheesh.

  • Also check with your town and county about any permits required to cut trees. They may fine him as well.
    via Allonsydr1

  • Oooh, now here's some good advice

    ZantaraLost Along with all this advice like TODAY get QUALITY trailcams that you can put up to watch your land. Because if he's got a logging road already put in, you are going to lose more trees.
    via ZantaraLost

    Trail cameras! What a great idea. Who knows what else this guy is up to. Even if he's not doing anything out of line, he might be intimidated by this person tracking his movements. 

  • I'd also try to figure out what logging company has been in the area and give them calls warning about the situation. Whichever one did it has a headache coming their way but it's better to warn them all in case he tries again.
    via ZantaraLost

  • Get all the money you're owed

    Signal-Confusion-976 This is going to be very expensive for him. Some places you can be awarded treble damages.
    via Signal-Confusion-976

    Especially if you're awarded treble damages, meaning the mean neighbor would have to pay not just for the trees, but triple the value of what they're worth. I think that's a great deterrent. He can't just say he paid to remove trees. He had to pay triple because he was so reckless with his actions. 

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