Neighbor cuts down homeowner's trees without permission, then sends him a $1,000 bill with a payment deadline: 'I never agreed to take down trees or pay for them'

• 01
  
  via Getty Images

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• Neighbor cut down my tree/s. Sent me a bill.

  ❝Title sort of says it all. My neighbor, whom I have barely spoken to (but always cordially) had a ton of trees removed a few weeks ago. This afternoon I got a bill emailed to me… just with his name as the header and then an “invoice like” style with tree and stump removal and a cost (over 1k) and a deadline.❞

  -Exciting_Kale986

• 02
  
  via Zack Masters

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• A lot of neighbor disputes start over fences, parking spots, or somebody's dog barking at 6 a.m. This one started with a guy deciding to remove some trees and then apparently convincing himself that his neighbor would be thrilled to help cover the bill afterward. Not only did he have the work done without getting a clear agreement, but he also sent over a four-figure invoice complete with a payment deadline, as if that somehow made the whole thing official.

  The part that's really getting people stuck isn't even the tree removal itself. It's the logic behind the invoice. There seems to be a growing population of people who believe confidence can substitute for permission. If you act certain enough, maybe everyone else will just go along with it. That's basically the entire strategy here.

  The neighbor's argument boils down to "Well, I mentioned tree work in an email months ago." Okay. And? Mentioning something and getting approval for something are two completely different things. By that logic, every group text that starts with "we should go on vacation sometime" would legally bind six people to a timeshare.

  The funniest part is imagining the thought process. The trees get cut down. The stumps get removed. The contractor gets paid. Days go by. Weeks go by. Then comes the invoice, as if the homeowner is supposed to react with, "Oh yes, of course. Thank you for reminding me about that major landscaping project I never agreed to."

• 03
  
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• ❝I replied with shock although I was pretty calm, more along the lines of “What are you talking about? I never agreed to take down trees or pay for them” and then sent another email with some quick legal stuff saying I wasn’t liable. He immediately got nasty, trying to insist that he’d tried to contact me and I’d ignored him (he sent an email months ago saying he was having tree work done if I wanted to discuss; two sentences - nothing about taking down MY trees) and is trying to gaslight me into believing his email clearly meant he wanted to discuss taking down my trees.❞

  -Exciting_Kale986

• 04
  
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• And once the homeowner pushed back, the story somehow got even stranger. Suddenly the vague email was supposedly crystal clear. Suddenly everyone should have known what was being discussed. It's amazing how often a bad plan transforms into a misunderstanding only after somebody refuses to pay for it.

  The internet was largely united on this one because the situation feels so backwards. Most people understand that if you're spending a thousand dollars of your own money, you make sure everyone involved is on board before the work begins. That's not even a legal principle. That's just common sense.

  At the end of the day, nobody likes dealing with neighbor drama, but it's hard not to laugh at the sheer audacity of sending an unsolicited invoice and expecting it to work. If confidence alone could generate payment, this guy would be a millionaire.

• 05
  
  via A. C.

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• ❝I told him I wasn’t paying and said I’d contact insurance and see what I was liable for (he claimed a tree had fallen onto his yard - honestly I didn’t see it, and I don’t know if he has pictures. The trees in that area were all pretty small though) and to stop contacting me. I really don‘t care about suing him - like I said, I thought the trees were his anyway - but there’s no way I’m liable for anything, right?❞

  -Exciting_Kale986

• 06
  
  via Valeriia Miller

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• MarleysGhost2024

  He destroyed your trees. Send him a bill for the trees you lost.

• chthius

  Send him an invoice for 10x what he billed you. File a police report, push back or it will just get worse.

• Objective_Welcome_73

  He cannot sue you and win. You can sue him. It will be funny, if he sues you, counter claim, and you'll get the value of the removed trees.

• Gogogrl

  Nothing like somebody mailing you all the evidence you need for a lawsuit against them.

• TheOriginalBusket

  Cutting down someone else's trees is a BIG no-no. The trees have value, even if you didn't realize it. Do some googling and sue them for all they're worth. And remember; you loved those trees with all your heart, lol. The gall of some people.

• Capecod202

  if one of your trees falls on his property and causes damage you are NOT liable. it would go against your neighbors insurance not yours.

  the only way they are liable is if they have proof they showed you your trees were a danger to them multiple times.

  i work construction, I have dealt with a few clients / insurance companies who have had this problem happen

• SuZiee_Q

  I'm actively in a lawsuit against my neighbor for a)cutting down a tree that was on the property line, so half mine, half theirs and b) contacting a tree company unbeknownst to me to cut down said tree and five others. All work was conducted on my property, my fence was removed and destroyed, my deck (40x12) had to be replaced and two sets of sliding doors to said deck had to be replaced. Yard was destroyed. 35k in damages for lawn, deck and windows but the tree... A healthy oak tree in my state is valued at a million. We're being generous and suing for 250k and will be in court this July.

• yeehah

  My wife and I call that "ignoragance"—as in ignorant of the facts but arrogant about their position.

• Odd_Document8274

  First thing is to find the property line. Take it from there.

• Top_Technician_7034

  You say you thought the trees were his. Have you determined whose property they were on? Do you know where the property line really is?

  You have the email he sent. He doesn't mention your trees on your property. You have that as written evidence that he didn't notify you or ask you about your trees specifically ahead of time.

• tcorey2336

  I don’t see how you would be liable.

• SmartGirlGoals

  If he didn’t give you these details already…

  Email him back and ask exactly how many trees and what trees he cut down that were on your property. Then, get a value of those trees and send him an invoice of your own, including statutory damages.

  He claims a tree of yours fell on his yard. Ask for pictures. No pictures, no proof.

  Are you actually going to sue him? No. Unless he sues you first. Then you have proof you asked for money back because he did not have your consent.

• MeganJustMegan

  You are not liable for anything. However, you can tell him that you expect to be compensated for the trees he cut down without your permission. Don’t let this go, or who knows what he will try next. You have to stop these people fast.

• Alone_Box5173

  In some places, timber theft is worth triple the value.

• Rude_Sandwich_586

  Did he go onto your property to remove the trees?

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