Homeowner removes 12 fruit trees from property, neighbors protest because they want to pick the fruit: 'The yard has become a neighborhood orchard'

Author image for Ally Perry
Ally Perry • Writer and Editor
Aug 27, 2026 7:45 PM EDT

Is a homeowner obliged to carry on a neighborly tradition just because it was done by the person who owned the house before them?

Being able to create a community with your neighbors can turn out to be an unexpected pleasure of living somewhere, and let's be honest, it is far more pleasant than being stuck living next to somebody you don't like. It betters your social life, makes a home feel more homely, and hopefully gives you some people nearby who don't mind doing you a favor now and then.

Something that not a lot of people think that much about when they buy a property is how they may measure up to the previous occupants. If they were a big contributor to a positive neighborly atmosphere, you may be left with big shoes to fill. While it isn't necessarily fair for people to expect a new neighbor to live up to an old one, they may well be resistant to the change.

This is especially true if you change up certain traditions or expectations that have become a habit in the neighborhood. While you may not feel like you're hurting anyone, it can create a lot of disappointment and resentment.

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  • A man pushes a shovel into the soil with his foot.
    via Ales Krivec (Unsplash+)

    A man pushes a shovel into the soil with his foot. Model representation. 


     

  • A homeowner decided that it was time to make some radical changes to the yard of their new house, which had a lot of blackberry bushes and nearly 20 fruit trees on a small lot. They wanted to get rid of the bushes and most of the trees, as they were not all in good health and were encroaching on the house.

    However, multiple neighbors expressed their sadness at the changes happening to the yard. They had enjoyed picking fruit there before, and they didn't want to leave this tradition behind.

  • Am I wrong for removing most of the fruit trees in my yard even though my neighbors love them?

    I recently bought a home that has 19 fruit trees on a very small lot. I have fig, cherry, pear, apple, apricot, peach, plus about 10 blackberry bushes planted very close to the house. The yard is pretty overgrown, and I'm concerned about pests with the amount of fruit it produces and some other neglected landscaping.
    via nick7n
  • I decided to have 12 of the 19 fruit trees removed. A few are diseased, a few are too close to the house, and others were planted so close together that their branches are starting to grow into one another. And, frankly, I don't want to run the equivalent of a small commercial orchard out of my home.
    via nick7n

  • It was time for the fruit to go.

    I had landscapers remove the blackberries today, and while they were working, a neighbor stopped by to tell me how sad he was to see them be taken out. Apparently he and his daughter harvested about 20 lbs of blackberries a year from my bushes. We talked for a while and he got a little testy when I said I was removing some of the fruit trees.
    via nick7n
  • I've also had several other neighbors stop while I'm working in the yard to tell me how much they love the fruit trees and ask me to keep them.
    via nick7n

  • The homeowner sympathized with their point of view.

    I understand why they're attached to them. The previous owners apparently let neighbors pick fruit, and I actually think it's really sweet that the yard has become a bit of a neighborhood orchard over the years. I'm keeping seven fruit trees, and I'm more than happy for neighbors to continue picking from those.
    via nick7n
  • But I also feel like 19 fruit trees and 10 blackberry bushes is an insane amount for such a small residential lot, especially when I'm the person responsible for maintaining them, cleaning up fallen fruit, dealing with pests, pruning, etc.
    via nick7n
  • I feel a little guilty taking away something the neighborhood has enjoyed for years, but at the same time, I bought the house and I'm the one who has to maintain the yard. AITA for removing most of the fruit trees even though my neighbors want me to keep them?
    via nick7n
  • Cheezburger Image 10659392768
    via Ales Krivec (Unsplash+)

    A hand holding gardening shears, pruning the branch of a tree. Image depicted solely for explanatory purposes.


     

  • Some commenters disagreed with the planned landscaping.

    LittleArsonSite I can't understand people who take out so many trees when they first move into a house. I can understand getting rid of any diseased trees, but ripping so much out before you even get to know your own home is astonishing and so sad to me. You lose privacy, shade, free food. Give it at least a year, people.
    via LittleArsonSite
  • D In. You're nta for removing trees from your neighbors, but I really hate it when people remove trees when they first move in to a place. It's like a dog marking his territory in a destructive way.
    via LittleArsonSite
  • Candid Link3819 Nta it's literally your house and they can plant their own fruit trees
    via Candid_Link3819

  • At the same time, this was a choice only the homeowner could make.

    Fickle_Mickle_ NTA. There's a saying "don't fall in love with a view you don't own". Same thing applies here. If the neighbors like them, they can plant them in their own yard.
    via Fickle_Mickle_
  • Peg_pond_gem NAH. I would also be sad if my free fruit connect was no longer. As long as no one's been aggressive, you can't blame them for letting you know how much they like them and you're not to blame for doing what needs to be done on your own property.
    via Peg_pond_gem

  • Both sides had a point.

    Beruthiel999 NAH Obviously it's your property and you can do what you want, but your neighbors are also not in the wrong to tell you that it makes them sad.
    via Beruthiel999
  • Why would you even buy a house surrounded by fruit trees if you didn't want to keep them? That would be what attracted me as a theoretical buyer in the first place!
    via Beruthiel999
  • Jun1p3rsm0m 19 trees on a lot that's less than 1/10 of an acre? How is there even room for a house? That's way too crowded. No wonder they weren't healthy. The fact that you were able to save 7 healthier ones is more than enough. It must have looked like a jungle. You don't need roots growing into your foundation, water line, sewer line etc. NTA.
    via Jun1p3rsm0m

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