November 2, 2026 at 6:35 am

His Neighbor Refused to Split the Cost of Removing Trees on the Property Line. So He Started Charging Them to Access His Property

by Jayne Elliott

tree cut down to a stump

Shutterstock

It pays to be nice to people, and sometimes, literally.

In this story, there are trees growing on the property line between two houses, and the trees need to be removed. One neighbor claims he can’t afford to pay his half of the tree removal bill, so the bother neighbor is stuck paying the whole bill. That same neighbor wants revenge.

Keep reading to see what happens when he realizes he has the perfect opportunity to get revenge.

Slumlord Neighbor’s Time To Pay What He Owes

The house directly next door to me is a rental property which I had some issues with earlier this year.

The issues came from two massive spruce trees that were growing on the property line and were causing property damage to my property.

In my area it is a law that in the case of trees growing on the property line, the costs of removal must be split evenly between neighbors and because the trees and roots were causing property damage there was a significant case to be made for their removal.

The neighbor was unwilling to help pay for the trees to be removed.

Removing the trees was not cheap, and involved bringing in cranes and multiple days of work due to their size and proximity to structures.

I approached the neighboring property owner about splitting the removal costs and was basically told “I have no money”.

His portion would have been about $4k.

At that point we decided it would be more expensive to hire an arbor attorney and drag this through the courts and then try to collect that money than it is to just pay for the entire job ourselves.

More trees need to be removed.

Now here is where the revenge comes in.

The tenant that lives there passed away and the landlord decided to sell the house.

During the inspection process they discovered some trees on their property that were hazardous and needed to be removed before the sale could go through. It was uninsurable unless the hazard was mitigated.

In order to get to these trees equipment would have to go through my property. The lots are small and the way this lot is situated, he would either have to demolish his other neighbor’s garage or use my property.

Now, the neighbor needs a favor.

The owner approached me asking for permission.

And my response was that I would only grant permission to use my property for $4k the exact cost of what he owed me.

He tried claiming that it would jeopardize the sale of his property.

And I simply replied “I don’t care, this is the cost to use my property take it or leave it”.

The following week he came with a check for $4k and I granted written permission to use my property.

That was only fair! I’m glad he got his money for the tree removal.

Let’s see how Reddit responded.

This person would’ve asked for more money.

2026 11 01 at 12.10.44 AM His Neighbor Refused to Split the Cost of Removing Trees on the Property Line. So He Started Charging Them to Access His Property

Another person might’ve handled it differently.

2026 11 01 at 12.11.15 AM His Neighbor Refused to Split the Cost of Removing Trees on the Property Line. So He Started Charging Them to Access His Property

Thsi person thinks he could’ve charged more.

2026 11 01 at 12.11.40 AM His Neighbor Refused to Split the Cost of Removing Trees on the Property Line. So He Started Charging Them to Access His Property

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a neighbor who keeps reporting a neighbor who is constantly parking in the handicapped spots.

Everyone thinks the neighbor deserved revenge.

2026 11 01 at 12.11.49 AM His Neighbor Refused to Split the Cost of Removing Trees on the Property Line. So He Started Charging Them to Access His Property

I agree that it would’ve been reasonable to charge even more. Obviously, the $4000 to get his money back, but another $1000 could be good for the hassle.

I hope the neighbor connected the the dots about why he was being charged exactly $4000.

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Jayne Elliott | Contributing Writer, Life & Drama

Jayne Elliott is a contributing writer and editor for TwistedSifter specializing in human interest stories, internet culture, and family dynamics. With over 12 years of editorial experience in digital publishing, Jayne excels at analyzing complex online communities and transforming viral social debates into thoughtful, highly engaging narratives.

Rather than simply aggregating internet drama, Jayne brings a sharp, empathetic editorial eye to everyday dilemmas. She has a unique talent for unpacking the nuances of pop culture and online conflicts, providing readers with relatable, well-researched commentary.

Based in California, Jayne spends her free time outside the newsroom exploring theme parks with her family or beach-combing along the coast.

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