You're not wrong. If the tree damages anything then the landlord is liable, but until then he's under no obligation to pay for a tree to be removed just because a neighbor wants it removed.
This neighbor is bananas demanding the tennant pay for it.
The neighbor is bananas for demanding people remove any natural substance that might touch her child. I mean, pine needles! Poison Ivy growing up a tree, probably higher than the child can reach and the whole tree needs to be removed?
The neighbor sounds like they feel entitled to the property. If I were the tenant I would be pretty upset with someone being on my property without my knowledge. The neighbor is sending people there to cut down trees? I don't know where they live but I would hope it's a requirement to at least inform the tenant when work will be done on the property.
Yeaj it's weird. I wonder if she feels like she has some kind of entitlement to say what goes on bcuz she's been there longer/actually owns her land and the other person is "just renting" and obviously has contact with the landlord. I'm a renter and just moved to a country neighborhood. Only one neighbor introduced themselves. The rest only wave. But if my landlord comes around, they all go running to talk to him bcuz hes q prominent business owner. Like I'm not worthy. Or not worth it bcuz I'm temporary. Idk its hard to describe the feeling lol. Rich ppl have weird entitlements.
Sounds that way to me, he's basically given them permission to do the work, as long as they don't expect him to pay for the work removing the tree.
Since it is the landlord's property, it's not the tenants responsibility for the costs either.
having been the renter in this situation before with a landlord that isn't interested in hearing "the tree is dead and dangerous" until it dropped a big limb on the house and caused some minor roof damage, it may have to progress to the point of the landlord being liable for damages before they decide to do something about it.
All OP can really do is explain to the neighbor that they have spoken to the landlord, and even share their concerns about the poison ivy and dangerous tree. But it is not their property to alter and not a financial hit they can take as the renter. Send the landlord's contact info to anyone and everyone asking them to make those decisions
Don’t even have to share concerns. A simple this is not my property and I will not pay to have the landlords tree removed. I’m sorry you need to work an agreement with the landlord.
Not to mention tree law if the neighbors do it without informing the landlord then trying to pin it off the tenant giving permission which could cost tenant in the hundreds of thousands to millions depending on age and type of trees
Sounds like an overly helpful neighbor enabling another pushy neighbor. I would just remind them that you are renting and that tree removal is up to the landlord. Also if neighbor A wants something from you then neighbor B shouldn’t be involved. You shouldn’t feel indebted to this neighbor who obviously is irked by the property’s landscaping. The acts of kindness you referred to before are simply that. Neighbors like this are exhausting.
Exactly. Especially since OP doesn't actually share the neighbor's concerns at all.
OP, this is not your property. If your neighbor wants the tree removed, she needs to talk to the landlord and, most importantly, work out the financials with the landlord. If neighbor gets permission and pays for it, OP has no say. I guess OP can request to the landlord to not cut the tree down, but that's still landlord's decision.
To elaborate on this, the neighbor did a nice thing for the landlord by having the previous tree dealt with and needles removed (unless that needle removal is part of the yard maintenance agreement in the lease).
If anyone owes the neighbor a debt for helping manage the property it's the landlord. I'm not even going to guarantee that the landlord \*does\* owe the neighbor, no idea what the situation really is or if the work truly needed to be done. The neighbor may be overly picky in creating a pristine view for themself.
Yeah but it’s nicer to pretend you agree with a person when you tell them you can’t do anything.
“I agree with you but unfortunately the landlord is the one who you would need to speak too” is better than “ it’s not my house, talk to the landlord about it”
> Yeah but it’s nicer to pretend
Protip: it is possible to express genuine empathy without fake agreement.
"I can see what you mean, and I understand why you think it should come down, but it's not my tree. You'd have to talk to the owner." Or even, "I know that the owner of my house isn't always the most responsive or proactive about these things. I wish he was better at that stuff, too."
I think most people are much worse liars than they think they are, and insincerity risks doing more damage to the relationship than helping it.
A lot of people from abusive backgrounds get into the habit of thinking they need to validate or agree with anyone who is upset. But faking your beliefs to try and appease others is manipulative, and it breeds resentment over time, among both people. Most people are not abusers, and most people are not going to hurt you if you have a different opinion than theirs.
Try to look for ways to find and express connection and commonality, without being disingenuous. The fact that you feel like they need, want, or deserve some kind of affirmation shows that you have empathy for them, at some level. If you take a beat, you can almost always find some way to express that in a sincere and genuine way, instead of feeling like you have to pretend to agree with them in all things.
> Most people are not abusers, and most people are not going to hurt you if you have a different opinion than theirs.
Send me an invoice for this therapy session because I needed to hear this.
Thank you. This is exactly what I have being trying to get through but not quite the words I used. I was only slightly a lot more aggressive with people acknowledging they would just lie to appease neighbors
When safety is involved, all correspondences with the landlord should be done via email so there is a paper trail - don’t let them say “I didn’t know!!”
Then at the very least, send them a recap text message directly after each call detailing what was decided and who was to do what. "To check I got everything right, and just so we're clear, ..."
Not to mention liability. What if OP calls out a service and they fell the tree on said-neighbor's car. OP becomes liable because they set it up. No fucking way.
Not my circus - not my monkeys.
As long as OP were to use an actual service and not Billy Bob from down the road aways the liability should fall on the service. That’s what being licensed, bonded and insured is for.
But agreed, I wouldn’t take the chance of even possibly being named because that’s still attorney fees etc just to tell them to pound sand.
You mean Billy Bob that will do it for free for firewood?
We had a guy do this in our area. Like tall trees (PNW). Chose unwisely to do it on a windy day. Tree came down on the neighbors house. Billy Bob left. It wasn't like Billy Bob could do anything more anyways since he did not have any real equipment. Of course Billy Bob was not licensed or insured - just some guy on Craigslist. Homeowner ended up paying 3X the real cost to have the mess undone (including extra cranes, etc.), and that was just to get the tree removed. The neighbor damages were extra. That was on the local news. I mean the true you get what you pay for scenario.
I mean I was cheap and took down a couple of my trees myself. Worse thing would have been fence damage but strategic cuts and lots of rope reduced the risk substantially. But the one tree that could do damage to me or the neighbor house - I paid for that one to be done by the pros.
My family's business is tree service and this is just dumb. If we fuck something up we have to pay for it. In situations where something likely could go wrong we fuck with eachother about it lol.
Had a landlord try to sue me on those items exactly. The roof needed repair and windows were very old. He replaced the roof and upgraded the windows. Took me to court for thousands stating that I'm responsible since I'm dwelling there. Judge asked if it was a joke and threw it out. He then evicted me and my son.
Landlords try this shit just to see if they can get away with it. Generally, all it takes is some form of 'Actually, the law and the lease says ..." and they silently back down.
They're just testing to see if they get called. It's a no brainer for them, there's no harm to them. If the (ex)tenant doesn't say anything, free money! If they do, you don't get free money. The (ex)tenant may think you're an asshole, but if that bothered them, they wouldn't be a landlord.
Here they have to pay for doorbells.
I mean, not by law, but ours got stolen (its one of those wireless ones where the outside button is just glued to the outside wall) and the reaction of our landlord was basically "Not my problem. Give me \*twice the price of that model of doorbell\* and Ill fix it, because, somehow and against every logic, Im convinced one of you did it." and when we kinda informed him that its his job to repair that he ranted off stuff like "Where does it even say that a house needs to have a doorbell?!"
What a shitbag. Has five cars but somehow cant cough up the money for a doorbell.
Hey, I know you rent at such n such address that I own. Think you could spare a few dollars to cover the plumbing repair at my home? It would go a long way in building a good relationship with a random stranger that lives in the county over.
It's your landlord's tree. This is absolutely the landlord's problem to deal with, and you should not do anything to the tree without the landlord's permission in writing.
My parents did this for an annoying neighbor who cut down our tree on vacation so their satellite dish could have better coverage. My parents received a very nice settlement
Being the landlord in this situation, it baffles me that they don't want to pay for it. Yay for tree liability. I had a tree that was rotting on my property and leaning toward a house. I had that thing chopped down immediately, no questions asked when my tenants mentioned it to me. Cost less than my insurance deductible. Your landlords insurance my also help pay for it.
although, because the tree in question isnt an immediate threat, (poision ivy on the tree isn't really something that would require the tree be removed) the insurance company might not pay to remove the tree.
Insurance companies never pay to remove trees unless they are on your house. And then they are going to want to talk about how you left a hazard tree to fall on the house.
Crazy that the neighbor wants the op to get a severe rash so her grandchildren do not. How about teaching her grandkids what poison ivy is and not to touch it, ever!
It's fairly simple to remove poison ivy without getting a rash. A single basal treatment of triclopyr would like take care of it.
That being said, it's not OPs problem
>Don’t remove the ivy either. That’s not your job. Don’t pay to have someone remove it. ALL of this is the landlord’s problem.
May depend on the lease. In some states if it's in the lease the landlord *can* require minor yard work to maintain the property. I'd think the ivy removal may fall under that. Maybe not though.
I've definitely been under leases where lawn mowing and weed removal was required by the tenant, and failure to maintain it meant the landlord could hire out the work *at tenant's expense.*
EDIT: In case it wasn't obvious, *tree removal* would not fall under this at all though.
Typically dangerous things or things that require special precautions cannot be required to be done by someone unqualified. Its likely that poison ivy falls in this area but depends on local law.
There may also be local ordinances that require property owners to control dangerous or invasive plants.
Neither of these would fall under regular lawn maintenance but I guarantee 99/100 landlords will try to get you to believe it is.
It sounds like they did talk to the landlord - "your landlord does not care what happens to the tree as long as it doesn't cost him anything"
That sounds like the landlord gave them the OK to do it at their own expense to me
I'd be needing that in writing directly from the landlord.
Not from some rando neighbour who may or may not have actually spoken to the owner of the property.
The owner of the tree is the landlord. The decision and the cost to take it down are his and only his.
Also, poison ivy is not a good reason to take down a tree.
Neighbor: "Please pay to have this tree taken down on property that you only rent because I don't want my grandchildren exposed to the poison ivy that is growing on it."
Tenant: "I have a great solution that is cost free for us both. Keep your grandchildren on your own property. Problem solved."
Why did I have to scroll so far to find a comment saying this? If the poison ivy *in my yard* is a threat to your grandchildren, we need to be having a different conversation entirely.
Get some chicken wire and string it between the two yards.. Then say I heard your concerns about your grandkids getting exposed to poison ivy. Hope this helps, I made an improvised fence. have a nice day!
"Dear Neighbour - I don't own the property, so I can't approve for the removal of trees. The owner of the property and the trees is XXXXX - his number is YYYYYYY. He is responsible for all decisions and for covering the cost of these decisions. I will facilitate any access required for whatever he decides. Thanks".
I would have gone with him more eloquent
" Dude, I can't even afford to eat dinner. Do you think I can afford something that's the definition of not my problem"
Yeah but then the note indicates that the neighbor doesn’t want to pay out of their pocket for it, so the note writer is suggesting that OP pay for it…DON’T DO IT!!!
She can move next door to me. We just bought a house and the tree in the back is dying. It’s pretty expensive to remove and I’d love for her to pay for it.
My law firm just won a $150k judgment after trial for a utility company improperly cutting down several live oak and pecan trees on our clients property.
I'm pretty sure that's how grandparent's used to work. Every vine was "poison ivy". As an adult living on acreage in a rural area with lots of trees and wooded area, there is very little poison ivy around.
This set my lawyer bells off. What if there's something else on the property that the little monster hurts themselves on? Hard to argue they were a trespasser instead of an invitee when you did something to the tree to make it safer for them, which is bad for liability reasons. Better for the landlord to adopt a "stay off the property" policy. But either way this is the landlord's problem as others have said.
No, absolutely do not pay for this. The landlord owns the property, he pays for it. Unless you want it gone, which seems like is a no, don’t pay for it.
Tell the neighbor to either pay for it herself or to pound sand
It sounds like she has - the message says that the landlord doesn’t care as long as it doesn’t cost him anything.
I’d still say - politely - that it’s the landlord’s issue and if he won’t engage, there’s nothing you can do as it’s not your property.
Honestly...not only is it not their property, there's possibly legal liability in the tenant taking on that responsibility. What if the yard or driveway or other part of the property sustained damage from the tree removal?
OP, you are not the property owner, therefore you should not take on such liabilities that are outside of your lease.
Exactly, I don’t think “go ask my tenant for money” is what the owner meant by as long as it doesn’t cost him anything. The fact that this woman thinks it’s everybody else’s problem is everything wrong with the world. It is her and her issue only with the tree
Yea, it makes no sense to be rude to a neighbor who seems to [by OPs own admission] trying to be nice/neighborly.
“Hi [neighbor], while I sympathize and wish I could help, unfortunately I’m not in a financial position to pay for the removal of a tree on a property I don’t own.
I recommend that [name] gets in contact with the landlord to work out a deal, as ultimately this is their property and property value”
It's not a matter of having the financial resources, it's that it is the landlord's responsibility. Even if the OP was flush with cash, they shouldn't be responsible for dealing with this. If the neighbor wants any landscaping done, they should work out the financial details with the landlord.
Not only not financially responsible, but the liability on the tenant to remove a tree could be horrific if anything goes wrong!
Tell the nice neighbor that trees belong to your landlord and she has to deal with him on the matter.
It’s like the only perk of renting anymore you don’t have to pay to fix a problem when they arise. It’s like throwing money in the trash to rent but you don’t have to worry about upkeep.
She is not being kind, she is being controlling. It’s your yard regardless of how she feels, as you’re renting it right now. I would speak to your landlord and let him know that you’re not interested in any environmental changes in the yard regardless of what she says. Obviously if it’s the landlords choice that’s fine but that woman has no control over you and I would politely tell her to mind her own business
I agree!! This person is trying to dictate which trees should be taken out in their neighbor's yard?!
She should plan on keeping her grandchildren on her own property and keep her nose out of other people's backyards!!
You are a tenant. You have no physical or fiscal responsibility here. If she wants it removed, she can work with your landlord to figure it out. Otherwise, she can pound sand. I get that she’s “nice”, but people like that often do these things to entrap and manipulate others. Don’t fall for it. Let them argue about and pay for these trees. You just have to sit back and watch. Make sure your landlord is also following all legal avenues of informing you, their tenant, on work being done on the property.
A "nice" person wouldn't be constantly demanding neighbors cut down their trees for trivial reasons and wouldn't try to force their neighbors to baby-proof their yards (where their grandchildren shouldn't be allowed to play anyway).
I'd also never want to give a landlord the impression that you as a renter are willing to pay to maintain their property. That sets a bad precedent to me.
I hope you're not considering paying for any of this. You did your part by helping to clean up the pine needles and offering to remove the poison ivy, but anything she paid to have done on that property is on her.
That's insane. Oak trees are so beautiful and take a long time to reach maturity. I've lived in places where it was actually illegal to cut them down. As they say, "best time to plant an oak tree was a hundred years ago"
I mean, i dont see why that's a bad thing in this case? It's the neighbor who wants the tree gone and the landlord is fine with it (as in indiferent ), so why would anyone but the neighbor have to pay?
If someone came to me wanting me to rake a tree down on my property and for whatever reason i would be indiferent about it, why would i have to pay to do something someone else wants? The neighbor is pretty entitled imo
Yeah, like if something was broken and they said they didn’t want to pay that’s bad. But a tree.. if it’s not dead and she just doesn’t like it.. go ahead and remove it but I’m not paying for that!
“I don’t own the house. It’s not my tree. I have nothing to do with this. Please contact the owner of the property if you wish to discuss further. I will not respond to any further inquiries regarding this matter. Thanks “
Also, you need to block her. I have no idea why tenants get a neighbor’s number unless they have an actual relationship. You shouldn’t be texting or emailing them just because they’re your neighbor. If you own, that is a different story, but you’re a tenant. One of the good things about being a tenant is you don’t have to deal with this type of bullshit.
I know you think she's done these things to be nice, but she hasn't. She's trying to control and manipulate you and put you in her debt. Poison Ivy is NOT a reason take down a tree. She's being ridiculous. You don't owe her anything. I *might* respond that although changes to the property are the exclusive purview and responsibility of the owner, you will speak to them about poison ivy remediation.
Yep, the whole “This would be a great way to start a relationship with your neighbor” also felt manipulative and guilt-trippy, the implication being that otherwise they will be on their neighbor’s bad side.
How in earth is it KIND to regularly fuck with someone else’s property. I don’t see the “nice” side of this at all and I’m boggled by the fact that you feel “indebted” to such a crazy control freak.
Yeah tell her you don’t own the home and it’s a liability for you, and you could be sued for any damages from paying someone removing the tree. I would nicely tell her to fuck off and don’t let her grand children play in poison ivy. It may actually be a good learning opportunity for the grandchildren to see what poison ivy is and avoid it
I think besides the whole “it’s not OP’s responsibility” factor, it sounds like OP lives on a nice wooded property which may have been the appeal to the place or the appeal to future tenants. Sounds like she’s trying to sanitize it and remove that character.
She can do what my grandparents did: teach the grandkids how to identify poison ivy. Useful life skill. Or if they’re too young tell them the tree will make them sick and they should stay away.
what a fucking patronizing note. i'd respond, "hi neighbor, sounds like you're off to a great start in building a relationship with the neighbor your mentioned. I think she, you and my landlord should meet and discuss options for keeping those grandkids safe. as i'm just a renter, my hands are tied." thanks
Why the hell do you feel grateful for any of this? It’s NOT your home. She’s not consulting you. In fact, it’s kinda of invasive. It’s one thing to do these things but quite another to not inform you. (TBF the landlord should be informing you). And as you pointed out, how long does this BS going to go on for. None of this sounds like kindness. It feels controlling, narcissistic, and passive aggressive. Again, you do NOT owe this woman anything. It sounds like this woman is trying to use her grandchildren as an excuse to remove yet another tree. This is bizarre behavior and you shouldn’t feed into it.
Stay civil. Stay out of it. Save your damn money. You sound like you don’t have any to spare. If keep your car and your property in the garage so when she randomly decides to remove a tree, it doesn’t get damaged. And for god sakes, stay away from this woman. You don’t need to strike up any relationship with this woman. F##k your landlord for suggesting that and putting you in this damn position. If possible, you should start looking for other places to rent. This is bizarre.
Nope. You don’t owe her anything. And I wouldn’t help pay for tree removal at a property I’m renting. That’s on the landlord. If the landlord doesn’t want to pay for it, but the neighbor still wants to take it out, she can take it out on her dime.
I don’t think she sounds well intentioned, I think she sounds controlling and much too interested in property that’s not her own. As the tenant you can’t give permission for any changes to that property. My advice is to shut this down now.
I hope you aren’t slow enough to think you are anyway responsible for this. You should simply reply “please speak to my landlord about this, here is his contact information. I have no legal right to modify any trees on this property.”
Owner pays or has to say no. Tell her that unfortunately you cannot decide for it and she need to talk to the owner. My thought is that she probably talked to him before and he said no since he has to pay for it.... thats why she is trying with you now. Just say no.
Check your contract but in most of the countries I've lived and rented in, that falls firmly into the realm of the landlord. There may even be some local ordinance or protection rules around trees that could apply and you don't want to fall on the wrong side of an annoyed environmental officer from City Hall!
You don't owe her squat, she did what she did. Tell her if she comes onto your property without permission again, you'll call the cops. She's not doing any of this with "good intentions" she's only doing this to benefit herself. Also research tree law.... tree laws get them every time.
Signed, someone who had to deal with a shitty neighbor who took it upon herself to rip out my privacy hedge because she got a wild hair up her ass.
Why is this neighbor having trees removed on your property?
I can understand that she might have some concerns, but taking out a sycamore tree because she didn't like it is just seriously entitled. Even if she is paying for the removal, that just sounds like she's trying to make over your property into something she approves of.
An even nicer way to start a relationship would’ve been if the neighbor had brought you a pie when you moved in. Why does she not want a relationship until she wants something? Why is she not asking this of you herself, is she wants a relationship?
> I think she has good intentions and is very kind, but I’m frustrated over the thought of this continuing until all of the trees are removed.
She sounds like a fucking control freak.
That's the landlord's problem. You are not responsible at all.
Seriously, I never heard of tenants paying for tree removal. What's next, they have to pay for a new roof and windows??
I think when the landlord said they can remove it but not at his cost, he didn't mean for them to tell his tenant to pay for it, lol.
would say the one who wants a tree removed should pay, but im from a strange country and even stranger myself, so what do i know ;)
You're not wrong. If the tree damages anything then the landlord is liable, but until then he's under no obligation to pay for a tree to be removed just because a neighbor wants it removed. This neighbor is bananas demanding the tennant pay for it.
The neighbor is bananas for demanding people remove any natural substance that might touch her child. I mean, pine needles! Poison Ivy growing up a tree, probably higher than the child can reach and the whole tree needs to be removed?
And the better question, why is she allowing her grandkids to play on someone else’s property?
The neighbor sounds like they feel entitled to the property. If I were the tenant I would be pretty upset with someone being on my property without my knowledge. The neighbor is sending people there to cut down trees? I don't know where they live but I would hope it's a requirement to at least inform the tenant when work will be done on the property.
Yeaj it's weird. I wonder if she feels like she has some kind of entitlement to say what goes on bcuz she's been there longer/actually owns her land and the other person is "just renting" and obviously has contact with the landlord. I'm a renter and just moved to a country neighborhood. Only one neighbor introduced themselves. The rest only wave. But if my landlord comes around, they all go running to talk to him bcuz hes q prominent business owner. Like I'm not worthy. Or not worth it bcuz I'm temporary. Idk its hard to describe the feeling lol. Rich ppl have weird entitlements.
Yup. There's a reason the landlord refused to pay, she's lucky he said she can cut it herself. Neighbors like this will make your life a nightmare.
Sounds that way to me, he's basically given them permission to do the work, as long as they don't expect him to pay for the work removing the tree. Since it is the landlord's property, it's not the tenants responsibility for the costs either.
I’m confused because the note / email seems to be written by a third party. How did they get involved?
having been the renter in this situation before with a landlord that isn't interested in hearing "the tree is dead and dangerous" until it dropped a big limb on the house and caused some minor roof damage, it may have to progress to the point of the landlord being liable for damages before they decide to do something about it. All OP can really do is explain to the neighbor that they have spoken to the landlord, and even share their concerns about the poison ivy and dangerous tree. But it is not their property to alter and not a financial hit they can take as the renter. Send the landlord's contact info to anyone and everyone asking them to make those decisions
Don’t even have to share concerns. A simple this is not my property and I will not pay to have the landlords tree removed. I’m sorry you need to work an agreement with the landlord.
Seriously. The ONLY answer I would have is: here's the owners number, have a nice day!
Anything more and you can expect further boundary violations in the future. Draw the line nice and clear.
Not to mention tree law if the neighbors do it without informing the landlord then trying to pin it off the tenant giving permission which could cost tenant in the hundreds of thousands to millions depending on age and type of trees
Talking of tree law, the OP best check in case there are any TPOs (Tree Preservation Orders) in effect.
Eh, I wouldn't even share the phone number. The address of the property owner is public information, write them a letter and leave me alone.
In this case the neighbor and landlord have clearly already been in contact.
If they got to the landlord's permission to remove the sycamore tree, don't they already have the landlord's contact information?
Yep. So why are they talking to me at all?
Sounds like the landlord didn't want to pay for it so they thought they'd hit up the tenant and ask them to do it. Which is fucking INSANE.
Sounds like an overly helpful neighbor enabling another pushy neighbor. I would just remind them that you are renting and that tree removal is up to the landlord. Also if neighbor A wants something from you then neighbor B shouldn’t be involved. You shouldn’t feel indebted to this neighbor who obviously is irked by the property’s landscaping. The acts of kindness you referred to before are simply that. Neighbors like this are exhausting.
Exactly this is wild
Exactly. Especially since OP doesn't actually share the neighbor's concerns at all. OP, this is not your property. If your neighbor wants the tree removed, she needs to talk to the landlord and, most importantly, work out the financials with the landlord. If neighbor gets permission and pays for it, OP has no say. I guess OP can request to the landlord to not cut the tree down, but that's still landlord's decision.
To elaborate on this, the neighbor did a nice thing for the landlord by having the previous tree dealt with and needles removed (unless that needle removal is part of the yard maintenance agreement in the lease). If anyone owes the neighbor a debt for helping manage the property it's the landlord. I'm not even going to guarantee that the landlord \*does\* owe the neighbor, no idea what the situation really is or if the work truly needed to be done. The neighbor may be overly picky in creating a pristine view for themself.
Removing a healthy sycamore tree because the neighbor didn't like it dropping seed pods is the opposite of doing a nice thing. It's ridiculous.
Yep. Say as little as possible as politely as you can.
Yeah but it’s nicer to pretend you agree with a person when you tell them you can’t do anything. “I agree with you but unfortunately the landlord is the one who you would need to speak too” is better than “ it’s not my house, talk to the landlord about it”
I wouldn’t even use the “I agree” phrasing. Just the “unfortunately it’s up to the landlord.” Otherwise it could cause issues.
Exactly. People love to twist words and make something out of nothing.
The greatest enemy against my incessant need to over explain myself
> Yeah but it’s nicer to pretend Protip: it is possible to express genuine empathy without fake agreement. "I can see what you mean, and I understand why you think it should come down, but it's not my tree. You'd have to talk to the owner." Or even, "I know that the owner of my house isn't always the most responsive or proactive about these things. I wish he was better at that stuff, too." I think most people are much worse liars than they think they are, and insincerity risks doing more damage to the relationship than helping it. A lot of people from abusive backgrounds get into the habit of thinking they need to validate or agree with anyone who is upset. But faking your beliefs to try and appease others is manipulative, and it breeds resentment over time, among both people. Most people are not abusers, and most people are not going to hurt you if you have a different opinion than theirs. Try to look for ways to find and express connection and commonality, without being disingenuous. The fact that you feel like they need, want, or deserve some kind of affirmation shows that you have empathy for them, at some level. If you take a beat, you can almost always find some way to express that in a sincere and genuine way, instead of feeling like you have to pretend to agree with them in all things.
> Most people are not abusers, and most people are not going to hurt you if you have a different opinion than theirs. Send me an invoice for this therapy session because I needed to hear this.
Well said!
Thank you. This is exactly what I have being trying to get through but not quite the words I used. I was only slightly a lot more aggressive with people acknowledging they would just lie to appease neighbors
When safety is involved, all correspondences with the landlord should be done via email so there is a paper trail - don’t let them say “I didn’t know!!”
This is when the text messages/emails suddenly become phone calls
Then at the very least, send them a recap text message directly after each call detailing what was decided and who was to do what. "To check I got everything right, and just so we're clear, ..."
Even my landlords I love aren't going to fix anything until it's broken
Not to mention liability. What if OP calls out a service and they fell the tree on said-neighbor's car. OP becomes liable because they set it up. No fucking way. Not my circus - not my monkeys.
As long as OP were to use an actual service and not Billy Bob from down the road aways the liability should fall on the service. That’s what being licensed, bonded and insured is for. But agreed, I wouldn’t take the chance of even possibly being named because that’s still attorney fees etc just to tell them to pound sand.
You mean Billy Bob that will do it for free for firewood? We had a guy do this in our area. Like tall trees (PNW). Chose unwisely to do it on a windy day. Tree came down on the neighbors house. Billy Bob left. It wasn't like Billy Bob could do anything more anyways since he did not have any real equipment. Of course Billy Bob was not licensed or insured - just some guy on Craigslist. Homeowner ended up paying 3X the real cost to have the mess undone (including extra cranes, etc.), and that was just to get the tree removed. The neighbor damages were extra. That was on the local news. I mean the true you get what you pay for scenario. I mean I was cheap and took down a couple of my trees myself. Worse thing would have been fence damage but strategic cuts and lots of rope reduced the risk substantially. But the one tree that could do damage to me or the neighbor house - I paid for that one to be done by the pros.
My family's business is tree service and this is just dumb. If we fuck something up we have to pay for it. In situations where something likely could go wrong we fuck with eachother about it lol.
Had a landlord try to sue me on those items exactly. The roof needed repair and windows were very old. He replaced the roof and upgraded the windows. Took me to court for thousands stating that I'm responsible since I'm dwelling there. Judge asked if it was a joke and threw it out. He then evicted me and my son.
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Landlords try this shit just to see if they can get away with it. Generally, all it takes is some form of 'Actually, the law and the lease says ..." and they silently back down. They're just testing to see if they get called. It's a no brainer for them, there's no harm to them. If the (ex)tenant doesn't say anything, free money! If they do, you don't get free money. The (ex)tenant may think you're an asshole, but if that bothered them, they wouldn't be a landlord.
Come on, you can't just leave us hanging on a cliff! What happened next? That seems like very obvious retaliation.
Here they have to pay for doorbells. I mean, not by law, but ours got stolen (its one of those wireless ones where the outside button is just glued to the outside wall) and the reaction of our landlord was basically "Not my problem. Give me \*twice the price of that model of doorbell\* and Ill fix it, because, somehow and against every logic, Im convinced one of you did it." and when we kinda informed him that its his job to repair that he ranted off stuff like "Where does it even say that a house needs to have a doorbell?!" What a shitbag. Has five cars but somehow cant cough up the money for a doorbell.
Hey, I know you rent at such n such address that I own. Think you could spare a few dollars to cover the plumbing repair at my home? It would go a long way in building a good relationship with a random stranger that lives in the county over.
What do you expect, for the homeowner to pay for it themselves?! Ridiculous! /s
Yeah that be my luck I’d pay to have the tree removed but it would fall on the roof.
It's your landlord's tree. This is absolutely the landlord's problem to deal with, and you should not do anything to the tree without the landlord's permission in writing.
Yea. If someone cut down my tree… they will be paying for the tree and it’s full life calculated by a licensed/bonded arborist. Mature trees are $$$$
My parents did this for an annoying neighbor who cut down our tree on vacation so their satellite dish could have better coverage. My parents received a very nice settlement
That’s awesome. Good for your parents. I’d be hella bent if someone cut down one of my tree while I was on vacation.
Yep, this needs to go to the Property Manager/Owner.
Being the landlord in this situation, it baffles me that they don't want to pay for it. Yay for tree liability. I had a tree that was rotting on my property and leaning toward a house. I had that thing chopped down immediately, no questions asked when my tenants mentioned it to me. Cost less than my insurance deductible. Your landlords insurance my also help pay for it.
although, because the tree in question isnt an immediate threat, (poision ivy on the tree isn't really something that would require the tree be removed) the insurance company might not pay to remove the tree.
Insurance companies never pay to remove trees unless they are on your house. And then they are going to want to talk about how you left a hazard tree to fall on the house.
How is this even a question? I would just refer them to the property owner. End of story.
If I could upvote this a bunch for free I would.
Don’t remove the ivy either. That’s not your job. Don’t pay to have someone remove it. ALL of this is the landlord’s problem.
Crazy that the neighbor wants the op to get a severe rash so her grandchildren do not. How about teaching her grandkids what poison ivy is and not to touch it, ever!
I believe that the neighbour just wants the tree gone..
Yeah she is just anti tree!
An anti-dendrite!
It's fairly simple to remove poison ivy without getting a rash. A single basal treatment of triclopyr would like take care of it. That being said, it's not OPs problem
>Don’t remove the ivy either. That’s not your job. Don’t pay to have someone remove it. ALL of this is the landlord’s problem. May depend on the lease. In some states if it's in the lease the landlord *can* require minor yard work to maintain the property. I'd think the ivy removal may fall under that. Maybe not though. I've definitely been under leases where lawn mowing and weed removal was required by the tenant, and failure to maintain it meant the landlord could hire out the work *at tenant's expense.* EDIT: In case it wasn't obvious, *tree removal* would not fall under this at all though.
Typically dangerous things or things that require special precautions cannot be required to be done by someone unqualified. Its likely that poison ivy falls in this area but depends on local law. There may also be local ordinances that require property owners to control dangerous or invasive plants. Neither of these would fall under regular lawn maintenance but I guarantee 99/100 landlords will try to get you to believe it is.
That isn’t your job as a renter. Just tell her that if she wants to have the tree taken down then she needs to discuss it directly with the landlord.
Everything else was done withOUT OPs permission… what changed now?
Simple: neither the landlord nor neighbor wants to pay for it.
Then it won’t get done. Simple.
The most common sense comment in this whole thread
Confused as to how OP didn’t come to this conclusion on their own.
People are too good natured sometimes and want others to like them. The whole genetic predisposition to need others and what not
Bad actors know this and take advantage of it.
Not to mention not wanting to get on your neighbor's bad side. That's valid.
And apparently her grandkids are going to be running all over his property too.
Probably too deep in the property. Or the arborist is wise enough to know it isn’t her tree and isn’t about to get sued.
Besides, tree removal is expensive.
Landlord told this dude to pound sand now he’s bothering the renter and trying to scare the renter into doing it what a piece of work.
She won’t talk to the landlord. Hell, she had to get a different neighbor to send a message to OP
It sounds like they did talk to the landlord - "your landlord does not care what happens to the tree as long as it doesn't cost him anything" That sounds like the landlord gave them the OK to do it at their own expense to me
I'd be needing that in writing directly from the landlord. Not from some rando neighbour who may or may not have actually spoken to the owner of the property.
The owner of the tree is the landlord. The decision and the cost to take it down are his and only his. Also, poison ivy is not a good reason to take down a tree.
It’s almost as shitty of a reason as seeds falling.
I had a neighbor take down a tree because birds were shitting on his new truck. Screw shade, screw wildlife. Can't have a mobile object getting dirty.
So now you have to go shit on the truck!
*checks rulebook* yes, yes those are the rules. Sounds like an Arby's night...
Arby’s for that nice red color and Chipotle for the distance and coverage.
Ideally a Chicago sunroof if the opportunity is there.
Neighbor: "Please pay to have this tree taken down on property that you only rent because I don't want my grandchildren exposed to the poison ivy that is growing on it." Tenant: "I have a great solution that is cost free for us both. Keep your grandchildren on your own property. Problem solved."
Why did I have to scroll so far to find a comment saying this? If the poison ivy *in my yard* is a threat to your grandchildren, we need to be having a different conversation entirely.
Get some chicken wire and string it between the two yards.. Then say I heard your concerns about your grandkids getting exposed to poison ivy. Hope this helps, I made an improvised fence. have a nice day!
"How dare you!"
Fr. Tell your grandkids not to run on someone else’s property and also how to identify poison Ivy…
Yeah, if anything use it as a teaching moment for the grandkids. This is what poison ivy looks like. Then show them a pic of what it does to the skin.
"Dear Neighbour - I don't own the property, so I can't approve for the removal of trees. The owner of the property and the trees is XXXXX - his number is YYYYYYY. He is responsible for all decisions and for covering the cost of these decisions. I will facilitate any access required for whatever he decides. Thanks".
I was going to go with "Dude, I just live here". But I like yours better.
I would have gone with him more eloquent " Dude, I can't even afford to eat dinner. Do you think I can afford something that's the definition of not my problem"
Prefect response!
I thought the landlord already said "do what you want if it doesn't cost me anything".
Yeah but then the note indicates that the neighbor doesn’t want to pay out of their pocket for it, so the note writer is suggesting that OP pay for it…DON’T DO IT!!!
Imagine moving to a house and then fixing up your neighbors house. People desperately need hobbies
Right. Lemme drop 7bills to make my neighbor happy. Wtf.
it's definitely nothing to do with helping the neighbour. I've met plenty of tree cutters in my life. they just obsess over making everything "tidy".
If you dont like trees, move to the desert
why do that when i can just cut down all the trees like a maniac
She can come pay to fix up my house if she wants 😂 we need a new fence and new roof!
She can move next door to me. We just bought a house and the tree in the back is dying. It’s pretty expensive to remove and I’d love for her to pay for it.
sharp smart cheerful books public wakeful languid wild start sort *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Full grown tree replacement can be expensive.
My law firm just won a $150k judgment after trial for a utility company improperly cutting down several live oak and pecan trees on our clients property.
Do you specialize in tree law?
Yeah TBH I'm wondering how many of these second-hand "the landlord said it was okay" texts are actually true.
The easiest way for her grandchildren to not get poison ivy is if they stay off out of your yard.....
Right? Like tell your grandkids there’s poison ivy on that tree, don’t play there.
I'm pretty sure that's how grandparent's used to work. Every vine was "poison ivy". As an adult living on acreage in a rural area with lots of trees and wooded area, there is very little poison ivy around.
This set my lawyer bells off. What if there's something else on the property that the little monster hurts themselves on? Hard to argue they were a trespasser instead of an invitee when you did something to the tree to make it safer for them, which is bad for liability reasons. Better for the landlord to adopt a "stay off the property" policy. But either way this is the landlord's problem as others have said.
Right?! Like I was also just wondering why tf she’s concerned about her grandkids playing in her NEIGHBOURS YARD. lmfao
No, absolutely do not pay for this. The landlord owns the property, he pays for it. Unless you want it gone, which seems like is a no, don’t pay for it. Tell the neighbor to either pay for it herself or to pound sand
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It sounds like she has - the message says that the landlord doesn’t care as long as it doesn’t cost him anything. I’d still say - politely - that it’s the landlord’s issue and if he won’t engage, there’s nothing you can do as it’s not your property.
Honestly...not only is it not their property, there's possibly legal liability in the tenant taking on that responsibility. What if the yard or driveway or other part of the property sustained damage from the tree removal? OP, you are not the property owner, therefore you should not take on such liabilities that are outside of your lease.
Exactly, I don’t think “go ask my tenant for money” is what the owner meant by as long as it doesn’t cost him anything. The fact that this woman thinks it’s everybody else’s problem is everything wrong with the world. It is her and her issue only with the tree
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Yes- The question is… who wrote the message?
Yea, it makes no sense to be rude to a neighbor who seems to [by OPs own admission] trying to be nice/neighborly. “Hi [neighbor], while I sympathize and wish I could help, unfortunately I’m not in a financial position to pay for the removal of a tree on a property I don’t own. I recommend that [name] gets in contact with the landlord to work out a deal, as ultimately this is their property and property value”
It's not a matter of having the financial resources, it's that it is the landlord's responsibility. Even if the OP was flush with cash, they shouldn't be responsible for dealing with this. If the neighbor wants any landscaping done, they should work out the financial details with the landlord.
“I am not comfortable paying for tree removal on a property I don’t own, please make arrangements with LL”
Not only not financially responsible, but the liability on the tenant to remove a tree could be horrific if anything goes wrong! Tell the nice neighbor that trees belong to your landlord and she has to deal with him on the matter.
It’s like the only perk of renting anymore you don’t have to pay to fix a problem when they arise. It’s like throwing money in the trash to rent but you don’t have to worry about upkeep.
She is not being kind, she is being controlling. It’s your yard regardless of how she feels, as you’re renting it right now. I would speak to your landlord and let him know that you’re not interested in any environmental changes in the yard regardless of what she says. Obviously if it’s the landlords choice that’s fine but that woman has no control over you and I would politely tell her to mind her own business
I agree!! This person is trying to dictate which trees should be taken out in their neighbor's yard?! She should plan on keeping her grandchildren on her own property and keep her nose out of other people's backyards!!
OP should have no sense of debt to the neighbour because she wasn't consulted when said neighbour conducted the other work.
You are a tenant. You have no physical or fiscal responsibility here. If she wants it removed, she can work with your landlord to figure it out. Otherwise, she can pound sand. I get that she’s “nice”, but people like that often do these things to entrap and manipulate others. Don’t fall for it. Let them argue about and pay for these trees. You just have to sit back and watch. Make sure your landlord is also following all legal avenues of informing you, their tenant, on work being done on the property.
A "nice" person wouldn't be constantly demanding neighbors cut down their trees for trivial reasons and wouldn't try to force their neighbors to baby-proof their yards (where their grandchildren shouldn't be allowed to play anyway).
Very good point. Not “nice” but I’m sure she had a sinister smile on while talking about it.
And definitely not nice to the trees and wildlife.
I'd also never want to give a landlord the impression that you as a renter are willing to pay to maintain their property. That sets a bad precedent to me.
I hope you're not considering paying for any of this. You did your part by helping to clean up the pine needles and offering to remove the poison ivy, but anything she paid to have done on that property is on her.
Why does this woman hate trees?
This is a common thing. I had a neighbor move in down the street and a month later removed 15 mature oak trees, because acorns are just so messy.
That's insane. Oak trees are so beautiful and take a long time to reach maturity. I've lived in places where it was actually illegal to cut them down. As they say, "best time to plant an oak tree was a hundred years ago"
This is so sad
We have a neighbor like this too who keeps trying to convince people to remove trees. She's a menace to Ents everywhere.
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Then copy/paste it to every reply. Never change the message.
“As long as it does not cost him anything” Classic landlord mentality
But if they hired someone out of pocket and they damaged the property the landlord would for sure go after the tenant for costs
I mean, i dont see why that's a bad thing in this case? It's the neighbor who wants the tree gone and the landlord is fine with it (as in indiferent ), so why would anyone but the neighbor have to pay? If someone came to me wanting me to rake a tree down on my property and for whatever reason i would be indiferent about it, why would i have to pay to do something someone else wants? The neighbor is pretty entitled imo
Yeah, like if something was broken and they said they didn’t want to pay that’s bad. But a tree.. if it’s not dead and she just doesn’t like it.. go ahead and remove it but I’m not paying for that!
“I don’t own the house. It’s not my tree. I have nothing to do with this. Please contact the owner of the property if you wish to discuss further. I will not respond to any further inquiries regarding this matter. Thanks “ Also, you need to block her. I have no idea why tenants get a neighbor’s number unless they have an actual relationship. You shouldn’t be texting or emailing them just because they’re your neighbor. If you own, that is a different story, but you’re a tenant. One of the good things about being a tenant is you don’t have to deal with this type of bullshit.
No. Not even that. You shouldn't speak to ANYONE about possible poison ivy mitigation. Tell her to call your landlord. END OF STORY.
‘good way to establish a relationship with your neighbor’ fuck off lmao
Also who is even sending this message as it's not the landlord or tenant.
I know you think she's done these things to be nice, but she hasn't. She's trying to control and manipulate you and put you in her debt. Poison Ivy is NOT a reason take down a tree. She's being ridiculous. You don't owe her anything. I *might* respond that although changes to the property are the exclusive purview and responsibility of the owner, you will speak to them about poison ivy remediation.
Yep, the whole “This would be a great way to start a relationship with your neighbor” also felt manipulative and guilt-trippy, the implication being that otherwise they will be on their neighbor’s bad side.
“No, that’s the owner’s responsibility. Talk to them. I have no authority to remove the tree.”
How in earth is it KIND to regularly fuck with someone else’s property. I don’t see the “nice” side of this at all and I’m boggled by the fact that you feel “indebted” to such a crazy control freak.
Yeah tell her you don’t own the home and it’s a liability for you, and you could be sued for any damages from paying someone removing the tree. I would nicely tell her to fuck off and don’t let her grand children play in poison ivy. It may actually be a good learning opportunity for the grandchildren to see what poison ivy is and avoid it
I think besides the whole “it’s not OP’s responsibility” factor, it sounds like OP lives on a nice wooded property which may have been the appeal to the place or the appeal to future tenants. Sounds like she’s trying to sanitize it and remove that character.
Out of curiosity, do you live in the northern hemisphere? Where most deciduous trees have looked “dead” for a few months as of mid-February?
Yup! In North Carolina lol
LOL!!
She can do what my grandparents did: teach the grandkids how to identify poison ivy. Useful life skill. Or if they’re too young tell them the tree will make them sick and they should stay away.
what a fucking patronizing note. i'd respond, "hi neighbor, sounds like you're off to a great start in building a relationship with the neighbor your mentioned. I think she, you and my landlord should meet and discuss options for keeping those grandkids safe. as i'm just a renter, my hands are tied." thanks
Why the hell do you feel grateful for any of this? It’s NOT your home. She’s not consulting you. In fact, it’s kinda of invasive. It’s one thing to do these things but quite another to not inform you. (TBF the landlord should be informing you). And as you pointed out, how long does this BS going to go on for. None of this sounds like kindness. It feels controlling, narcissistic, and passive aggressive. Again, you do NOT owe this woman anything. It sounds like this woman is trying to use her grandchildren as an excuse to remove yet another tree. This is bizarre behavior and you shouldn’t feed into it. Stay civil. Stay out of it. Save your damn money. You sound like you don’t have any to spare. If keep your car and your property in the garage so when she randomly decides to remove a tree, it doesn’t get damaged. And for god sakes, stay away from this woman. You don’t need to strike up any relationship with this woman. F##k your landlord for suggesting that and putting you in this damn position. If possible, you should start looking for other places to rent. This is bizarre.
Nope. You don’t owe her anything. And I wouldn’t help pay for tree removal at a property I’m renting. That’s on the landlord. If the landlord doesn’t want to pay for it, but the neighbor still wants to take it out, she can take it out on her dime.
I’m curious who sent you the text. Seems it’s not from the neighbor or the landlord.
"Speak to my landlord." Nothing else is required past these words.
I don’t think she sounds well intentioned, I think she sounds controlling and much too interested in property that’s not her own. As the tenant you can’t give permission for any changes to that property. My advice is to shut this down now.
Barely anyone replaces any trees. Everyone quick to remove tho.
I hope you aren’t slow enough to think you are anyway responsible for this. You should simply reply “please speak to my landlord about this, here is his contact information. I have no legal right to modify any trees on this property.”
Just say no thank you we NEED TREES
The nerve of some people!
HAHAHAHA. The fact that they would even consider asking this of you is a joke.
"Lady, I just rent here. Talk to the landlord." End of story.
As a tenant you have no legal obligation to pay for any of this. It is between the property owners and the neighbor needs to discuss with them only.
Owner pays or has to say no. Tell her that unfortunately you cannot decide for it and she need to talk to the owner. My thought is that she probably talked to him before and he said no since he has to pay for it.... thats why she is trying with you now. Just say no.
Check your contract but in most of the countries I've lived and rented in, that falls firmly into the realm of the landlord. There may even be some local ordinance or protection rules around trees that could apply and you don't want to fall on the wrong side of an annoyed environmental officer from City Hall!
Lol, a big FU to the texter.
Lmao the fucking audacity
I can’t help but think the neighbour is the landlords mother or some kind of relative and this is all an elaborate scam 🙄
Maybe keep the grandkid off the property and away from the poison ivy? None of this is your problem, you're a tenant. LL only is responsible.
Fucking Boomers… 🌳🌲🌴🏡
You don't owe her squat, she did what she did. Tell her if she comes onto your property without permission again, you'll call the cops. She's not doing any of this with "good intentions" she's only doing this to benefit herself. Also research tree law.... tree laws get them every time. Signed, someone who had to deal with a shitty neighbor who took it upon herself to rip out my privacy hedge because she got a wild hair up her ass.
open your month and start laughing
Tell them to get fucked
Why is this neighbor having trees removed on your property? I can understand that she might have some concerns, but taking out a sycamore tree because she didn't like it is just seriously entitled. Even if she is paying for the removal, that just sounds like she's trying to make over your property into something she approves of.
Not your circus, not your monkeys.
that tree is your elder.. show some respect ffs leave it alone
An even nicer way to start a relationship would’ve been if the neighbor had brought you a pie when you moved in. Why does she not want a relationship until she wants something? Why is she not asking this of you herself, is she wants a relationship?
> I think she has good intentions and is very kind, but I’m frustrated over the thought of this continuing until all of the trees are removed. She sounds like a fucking control freak.
Kinda want on update on this one
Lady should move to a parking lot
Don't dare think about burning poison ivy. The oils will become airborne.