"mm" wrote in message
...
I hope you can help me.

I have a couple evergreen trees that are close to my property line.


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My new neighbor wants me to trim them. Whaddaya think?

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The optimist in me says that some of the things I've written below may help
create harmony in your community, but the pessimist (and realist) in me says
you've probably just been introduced to a new unpleasant neighbor who is
never going to stop causing problems no matter what you do.

Alternative 1 - Optimistic Answer: The knee-jerk reaction is to consider the
new neighbor as the bad guy in this. But it's also possible that he has
more info and is trying to be helpful, particularly if the tree is an
undesireable species subject to wind damage or disease. But on the face of
things, your new neighbor has moved in and now wants to dictate to you how
to take care of your landscaping?!? It was like that before he bought the
property, so he doesn't have much of a legal case for your landscaping
depriving him of his view or blocking his sunshine.

OTOH, he does have the right to use his own property, up to his property
line, so he would be within his rights to trim the trees back to that line,
provided he did n't do anything that would cause the tree to die (as I
understand the legal ramifications).

There may be some other factors -- if you are in a deed-restricted community
he may be able to go to the architectural review board (or whatever name
your homeowners' association uses) with a complaint that your landscaping is
outside of the community specifications, or if no HOA, he could try to do
the same with city/county zoning -- (he's much less likely to be successful
with city zoning than with the HOA). A really big tree on a small lot looks
out of place and tends to make the house look smaller and insignificant.
Small urban lots look better with less tall trees, unless the entire
community resides under an extensive canopy.If you're in an HOA and have an
approved landscape plan, he has little leverage. Depending upon local regs
or ordinances, there might be a local appearance code which prevents him
from doing things to the tree that would deform it even if it does extend
into his yard. Barring that he can trim the tree on his side. This might
make his view uglier, but be worth it to him -- the tree may be creating
deep shade in an area where he wants to have a good lawn or a vegetable
garden, or he's just hyper about controlling "his" airspace..

1. I think this is a homeowner issue masquerading as an arborist issue, so
the solution may depend only on how you get along with your neighbors, not
how you trim your tree. However, one way to solve the homeowner issue may
be to finesse it using the tree as the focus. Take a small branch to your
local extension service or Master Gardener or a good full-service local
nursery -- not the garden department of big box store -- and ask them to
identify it.

2. Knowing what type of tree it is, ask them for advice on its care --
including how to prune and trim it. Also ask about its longevity and value
in the landscape. It is possible that you have a fast-growing junk tree
that is of little landscape value and vulnerable to high winds, disease or a
short life span, such as a Norfolk Pine or an Italian cypress. In this
case, it may be to your advantage to agree with the neighbor, remove the
tree and replace it with a more appropriate species -- say a blue spruce,
decorative holly, purple-leaf plum, etc. It depends on how long you'll be
there, how much you can afford to spend to improve the property, the actiual
identity of the tree at issue, etc.

Another approach -- My situation is not similar, but I do have bald cypress
and Hong Kong orchid trees, and have raised the crown by removing the lower
limbs up to about 6' - 10' in height. This gives me a view under the trees
to the lake behind, lets me put a garden in under the trees, and I can mow
the lawn with a riding lawnmower without getting into the branches. If this
would work for you, you'd still have a functional landscape and have gotten
rid of the offending branches.

If all else fails, you can put up a board fence on the property line and
keep the tree that 's on your side of the line the way you want it. -- but
it sounds cheaper to first try and get along with your neighbor, until you
decide he's just being unreasonable. It's your tree and your property, so
do some homework and do what's best for you.

Alternative 2 - Pessimistic Answer: You've just been hit with the proverbial
know-it-all, bad next-door neighbor, and no matter what you do he will
always whine and complain about some perceived wrong. The problem will
exist until one of the two of you moves.