He wouldn’t split an $8,000 tree removal bill — then needed his neighbor’s yard to sell his house

Removing two large spruce trees along a property line cost one homeowner roughly $8,000. Because the trees were close to nearby buildings, cranes had to be brought in and the job stretched over several days. The landlord on the other side of the line refused to pay his share. Later, when he tried to sell his rental home, another tree issue left him needing that same homeowner’s permission to cross the yard.

The $4,000 disagreement

In a Reddit post on r/pettyrevenge, user u/TheToiletDestroyer said roots from the two spruces had been harming his property. Under the local rule he described, both property owners were supposed to split the removal cost.

When asked to cover $4,000, the landlord replied, “I have no money.”

Going to court would have added legal expenses without any certainty of getting paid back, so the homeowner ended up covering the full amount himself.

Boundary-tree conflicts often depend on local regulations. Oregon State University Extension notes that trees growing across a property line may be treated as jointly owned, while responsibility for removal and payment can vary by location. The Reddit user did not say where he lived.

An inspection uncovered another tree issue

After his tenant died, the landlord decided to put the rental house up for sale. During the inspection, additional trees on the property were deemed hazardous. In the Reddit account, the house could not be insured until those hazards were removed.

Heavy equipment needed room to reach the trees, but the small lots left only two choices: cross the neighboring homeowner’s yard or tear down another neighbor’s garage.

The landlord then asked the homeowner for access.

The neighbor asked for the same $4,000

Rather than refuse, the homeowner asked for the same amount the landlord had once declined to pay for the original tree removal.

The landlord said that fee could hurt his sale, but the homeowner did not lower it.

A week later, the landlord came back with a $4,000 check and got written permission to use the yard. In a later Reddit comment, the homeowner said the check had cleared.

Some commenters believed the homeowner should have charged even more. One suggested $5,000 to cover the original cost and the inconvenience, while another recommended $6,000.

Would you have taken the $4,000, or asked for more before letting heavy equipment cross your property?