You don't supply nearly enough info for us to help you. Is there something
you can do on your property to address any adverse drainage/erosion problems
before they occur? What exactly is the erosion issue--is his property
elevated higher than yours, is it a cliff or high bank that might come
tumbling into your living room, how large/old are the trees and why is he
removing them, could the trees be causing problems on his property?

I think you should do all you can on your own property to make sure it is
stable. After all, your neighbor is not responsible for protecting your
property no matter what the local ordinances or laws may say. Take
responsibility for yourself and your belongings. Put in a drainage channel
along the property line if necessary, plant a few trees for windbreak. It
is your property. I'm sure your neighbor is not sitting in his house
thinking of ways to make your life miserable. More likely than not, he is
already aware of drainage/erosion issues and is making plans to address
this.

I don't know when we all became so intolerant and controlling in this
country. My neighbors can do whatever the hell they want and it is my
responsibility to make sure my property is safe by using retaining walls,
plantings, or whatever else is necessary for my quiet enjoyment of my
property. Try a little live and let live. We will all be a better off for
it. I have a hard time believing this is a problem that two adults can't
handle without getting courts involved.

The cost of litigation in this country has made actual neighborhoods a thing
of the past. We just sue each other if we can't get our way and neighbors
living a few hundred feet from each other never get to know each other.
They pull into their garages, close the door, and that is the end of it.
Do you really want to live that way? Because of all these nuisance suits, I
am stuck living with government telling me what I can and can not do at
every step of the way. Permits are required for everything and common sense
has become a rare bird indeed.

So plant a windbreak, put in some erosion control and invite your neighbor
over for a nice dinner this week. You will not only improve your own life,
you will improve mine as well. Thanks.

ps- Perhaps your situation is more dire than I know and if that is the case
than I appologize for my harsh words. Some neighbors can be thoughtless and
difficult to live with and legal action may be necessary. I hope that this
is not the case in your situation.

From: "JNJ"
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Date: Sun, 9 Nov 2003 14:30:50 -0500
Subject: Neighbor clearing trees, affects on property

Hey gang -- a question. I have a neighbor who is clearing out a bunch of
trees. Depending on which trees he decides to pull out, this could have a
substantial affect on my property both in terms of drainage/erosion as well
as wind breaks.

I know there are typically laws/ordinances about doing these types of things
so I wanted to see if anyone had any tips on what to look and where to look.
Naturally, I'm going to talk to him about it before I go the legal route but
I need to have my p's and q's together with this guy -- he's a tough
neighbor to deal with on just about anything.

Suggestions?

James