Their serene life took an unexpected turn when their neighbor decided to take matters into his own hands.

However, the yard also contained several mulberry trees that they were less fond of. They planned to eventually cut down the mulberry trees but first wanted to make sure they got a good price from a reliable tree felling company.

Michael and Emma’s new neighbor reached out and told them that he owned a tree removal company and would be happy to take on the job of cutting down the unwanted mulberry trees for them.

He had recently spent quite a good deal of money renovating his back porch, adding a pizza oven and jacuzzi to create a kind of backyard oasis. And Michael’s trees created substantial shade where he wanted sun.

However, while waiting for that quote, Michael and Emma went away for a few days. When they returned, they were absolutely shocked to see workers in their yard, cutting down not just the mulberry trees but the oak trees too.

He quickly realized the workers were from his neighbor’s company, and Michael, furious and helpless, demanded they stop immediately. But sadly, it was too late.

Michael confronted the workers, and they explained that their boss, his neighbor, had told them to cut down all the trees in the yard, including the decades-old oak trees.

The neighbor had left a $2,000 bill under their door for the tree removal service they never agreed to. But that wasn’t even the end of this torture.

When they woke up, the police were at their door. They said that because the trees came from Michael and Emma’s yard, they had to pay a fine to the city for their removal from the street.

He quickly found the “r/treelaw” subreddit thread and realized that his situation was not entirely unique. There was an entire community of people reporting similar scenarios, so Michael decided to add his story, too.

Luckily, the community responded immediately. Many Reddit users sympathized with his situation, while others provided valuable insights into his rights. Specifcally, the importance of consulting an arborist to assess the damage.

All trees have a fiscal value which changes depending on the type of tree, as well as its size and age. So Michael wasn’t sure if his trees were worth just a few hundred or several thousand dollars.

Once again, thanks to the advice on Reddit, Michael and Emma contacted a lawyer who specialized in tree law or “arboreal arbitration.” These lawyers understand the value of trees and specifically work on private property destruction disputes.

While that may seem like a lot of money, it included the costs of the destroyed trees, legal fees, and the city council’s cleanup bill for the road obstructed by the fallen trees.

Like most Americans, the neighbor didn’t have over a million dollars just lying around. His egregious and illegal mistake of cutting down Michael’s trees without permission lost him everything.

While this may seem harsh, it certainly is an important lesson for everyone and anyone: You absolutely cannot cut down trees on another person’s property without their permission, otherwise, you will pay the consequences.

People empathized with his situation and shared similar stories, but it was their advice that led Michael and Emma first to an arborist and then to a lawyer who specialized in tree law.

This incident highlights the importance of understanding property and tree laws on both sides of the fence. For those on the receiving end, the biggest lesson is that consulting experts and seeking legal advice can make a significant difference when dealing with disputes.

The ordeal was a tough lesson, but it ended on a positive note with a restored yard and a stronger community bond.

But some do; in fact, one man from New Jersey was forced to pay $1 million for cutting down hundreds of trees on his neighbor’s property.

The property owners, the Cantows, were absolutely shocked by the damage, and like Michael and Emma, immediately reached out to an arborist to assess the value of the damage.

Patel also claimed that they only removed 54 trees on the Cantows’ property, as the rest were actually behind his boundary line.

But unlike Michael’s neighbor, Patel actually had $1 million to pay the fine as he was a multi-millionaire who owned several Dunkin Donuts franchises.

Therefore, it’s crucial to understand that if you cut down any trees on someone else’s property, you will pay the consequences, and they will likely be very expensive.