Can a homeowner force a neighbor to trim a tree hanging over their property line?
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Can a homeowner force a neighbor to trim a tree hanging over their property line?
My tree limb hangs over into my neighbor’s yard and they want me to pay to have it trimed. Can they do that?
Asked on August 30, 2012 under Real Estate Law, Illinois
Answers:
MD, Member, California Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
They can absolutely do that because technically your branches are an encroachment on their property. The issue here is whether that is reasonable. They can actually trim it back without your approval and at their own time. If they cannot do it themselves, ask to do it for them but explain you cannot pay for someone to do that. You can also simply pull the limbs back from their property and trim it at the base so it never encroaches on their side.
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