Trees and Neighbors. What you need to know!

Having any sort of issue with your neighbor is never fun. Tree care and maintenance can be a source of tension. We have assembled the common questions we encounter with our customers and their neighbors. Read below about trees and neighbors. What you need to know!

• Are there laws regarding planting trees in Oregon? No, there is no set rule. We recommend consulting a licensed landscape professional regarding all tree planting. They will have good suggestions on the least problematic tree varieties to you and your neighbor(s). Keep in mind the city does regulate parking strip tree plantings.
• What should I do if I have a problem with their tree? Over the years, our interpretation of handling of tree issues are to follow one simple guideline, “Talk to your neighbor before you take any action”. We cannot stress this enough, quickly opting for calling the city, their homeowners insurance or HOA, is a quick way to start a neighbor feud. If your neighbors tree limbs are hanging over your fence, ask your them how they will feel if you trim them back to the fence line. Are you entitled to do so without permission? Yes, but doing so may cause unnecessary conflict.
• Who is responsible if a tree falls on a fence line or causes any property damage? Whoever has the tree growing on their property is typically held responsible for removal of a fallen tree or plant material along with any associated repair needed.
• My neighbor’s tree drops a lot of debris onto my property, shouldn’t they pay for the cleanup? As frustrating as this can be, your neighbor is not responsible. Houses can be close together and unfortunately their plant debris may be a consequence of that. It is best to make a compromise you both can live with.
• My neighbor is complaining about my landscaper blowing leaves onto their property, what should I say?First off, let them know you empathize, then tell them you will discuss it with your landscape company. Legally, you (and the landscape company), are not responsible for debris that are blown over. However, we handle our customer’s neighbor complaints with the utmost respect and do our best to avoid blowing debris into their yard. If necessary, we call our customer’s neighbor and explain the difficulty in keeping all debris from blowing into their yard. Most often, everything ends up okay and this step is not needed.