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

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

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