A property owner may not impact the health, comfort, or well-being of a neighbor or their real estate. It is not a requirement for property damage to have been caused for an act or situation to be deemed a nuisance or infringement of a property owner’s rights. You need to know what to do if a neighbor’s tree is impacting your property. Knowing how to deal with neighbor’s trees overhanging my property can help homeowners avoid escalating disputes and take appropriate action under local law. For those in Omaha, professional tree trimming and removal services are available.
What to Do if a Neighbor’s Tree Is Impacting Your Property
The Test
In order to determine if the nuisance is valid and requires action, it must pass an objective reasonableness test.
- The complainant has to show that the inconvenience is interfering with their comfort and their existence based on sober and simple notions.
- That they are not just being unreasonable or fastidious in their mindset.
- The interference is not a matter of modes or habits of living.
When applying these principles, a court will be mindful that a tree forms an essential part of the human environment. This is true both aesthetically and practically, as trees provide oxygen, pleasure, and shade.
Consequently, the tree owner must understand that having trees means a degree of acceptance for any inconvenience or dangerous condition. However, a court will not immediately order the removal of a tree. In fact, it will view such drastic action as the last resort.
Property Impediments
Property infringements extend beyond building proximity and property lines. Trees are very much part of what can constitute an impediment when viewed through the prism of nuisance laws. Impediments include encroachment of trees, roots, leaves, and branches hanging over your neighbor’s yard.
It can be a relatively small (yet annoying) matter if leaves cross over to the other side of the property lines and land in your pool or clog your gutters. Even falling leaves or blocked sunlight can lead to tension among neighbors. For homeowners in Omaha, it’s important to consider hiring a local arborist who understands Omaha property line tree rules and can provide professional assessment and solutions.
Recourse
It is always best if you can solve problems with neighbors in a friendly manner before going down the path of filing a nuisance claim. However, often problems become legal disputes when failing to apply common sense. The problem with common sense for some folks is that it oftentimes affirms responsibility. Taking responsibility and being held liable in these matters usually comes with a price tag.
However, the longer it takes to resolve a problem, the more the dispute will cost. The courts are then the inevitable only recourse for a dispute settlement. The court system will take the interests of both parties into account and presumably enforce the local laws and local ordinances.
Court Process
Step one, is negotiation. The complainant will have to prove that friendly negotiations were useless. The next step is then for the complainant to advise the defendant that they will address the problem, and bill the defendant if nothing is done within a reasonable period.
The last step is to approach the courts for an interdict. This would compel the defendant to attend to the issue. It would also allow for a prohibitory interdict forbidding such encroachments again in the future. It is wise to remember that the burden of proof lies with the complainant and the complaint must be objectively presented with unambiguous and irrefutable evidence.
Perplexing
If you choose to not trim branches hanging over your property, this can be the type of issue that starts off small and ends up having you at war with your neighbors for years. Nobody should want that. That is why finding an amicable solution for example is the best way to ensure that friendliness lasts a lifetime.
Additional Reading: Property Owners Required to Keep Trees Out of Division Fences
Need Help with Neighbor’s Trees or Property Encroachment? Call Tree Services of Omaha Today
If you’re dealing with a neighbor’s trees overhanging your property, don’t wait until the damage worsens or disputes escalate. Tree Services of Omaha, Nebraska is a full-service tree care provider that offers a wide range of arborist services including but not limited to: Tree Removal Services, Tree Trimming, Tree Pruning, Tree and shrubs Shaping, Stump Removal, Stump Grinding, Arborist Consultations, Systemic Tree Injections. Contact us today for a free estimate!
