Sure, trees are good for the environment, but they come with their pains. Especially if one is standing on some individual’s property.
As long as it’s there, it has to be more or less taken care of. This includes everything from pruning to raking leaves to abiding to the relentless HOA regulations on the tree’s dimensions, characteristics and other insignificant details—it all becomes a huge pain where the sun don’t shine really quickly.
But you can always have a little bit of fun if the annoyance level goes through the roof. Not because of the tree per se, but because of its obnoxious owner.
More Info: Reddit
Be careful what you (obnoxiously) wish for, or else that tree you wanted downed will do it so spectacularly, you're gonna need a cleanup crew
Image credits: tdlucas5000 (not the actual photo)
Even if it isn't spectacular, you will still need a cleanup crew because the cutter will not deal with it as it was just not part of the deal
Image credits: Silver_Scallion_1127
Turns out, the cut-down tree just sat there for a year until the neighbor finally decided to do something about it
Image credits: Tami Hills (not the actual photo)
This one Redditor, user u/Silver_Scallion_1127, shared a story of mischief more than revenge, despite it being posted in r/PettyRevenge, which involves an obnoxious neighbor, a tree and some cutting equipment.
The story goes that OP was minding their own business, pruning the branches of a neighboring tree that was sticking into their property, when suddenly a wild neighbor appeared. All would’ve been fine and dandy if not for the neighbor’s obnoxiously annoying demands that followed the pruning.
The neighbor figured that if OP was cutting off the branches, they might as well get rid of the tree, right? The neighbor didn’t want it, OP wouldn’t have to deal with the leaves and twigs and unsuspecting wild animals falling to their certain doom on their lawn. But OP was having none of it… until they realized the branches were endless.
So, OP reconsidered the neighbor’s offer (actually included a BBQ skewer or two too) and changed their mind. One narrative transition later, we’re witnessing the 20-foot tree tumbling down with a (probably) very satisfying thwok, making a mess any lumberjack would (probably) be proud of.
OP claps their hands to get rid of the traces of timber murder, all the while also signifying that their job is done. The neighbor didn’t think so and “reminded” OP of the need to also get rid of the tree, to which OP essentially responded “cleanup wasn’t part of the deal” and it was now in the hands of the neighbor to decide which wood viscera cleanup crew to hire.
Image credits: Coconino National Forest, Ariz (not the actual photo)
Aaaand the Reddit community was a bit torn about this one. Mostly because of the tree huggers pointing fingers at the fact that it was a perfectly normal tree that could’ve just continued doing its photosynthesis thing, providing the planet with very needed oxygen all the while getting rid of the very much not needed carbon dioxide, but noooo, someone had to axe it.
But then there was the other side of the subreddit that guesstimated the amount of money the neighbor saved by having OP cut it down, i.e. around $600, and guesstimated how much the tree would cost if it was prized wood. $50k was the one in the comment.
And then there were stories like this one, where a neighbor was being a bit of a pain for this woman, even after she had long gotten rid of the tree that she had to care for and also make sure it didn’t “litter” on the neighbor’s side of the fence. It all ended in a lawsuit to put the bully back into her place. The bully had to pay $120 to everyone involved as compensation for her nagging wasted time in court.
Image credits: David Brossard (not the actual photo)
For context, let’s answer some of the more hard-pressing questions:
Can you cut a tree down on your property? In general, on your own property, yes. However, keep in mind the local regulations and HOA rules on the matter. If trees are protected in that area, they are considered part of the community as far as ownership goes.
The other important aspect to this is yes, you can cut it down, but you need a permit. Permits are the government’s way of fighting deforestation and each case is evaluated individually by means of permits. If you really, really need to make furniture out of that air generator, you can pay for it. Usually $20 to $150 depending on the location.
There is, of course, nuance to this, like what if the tree puts someone or something in danger? You can check the tree yourself or contact an arborist to do that for you and see if the tree can still stand on its own (it’s not hollow and the like). If it is, you won’t need a permit, the arborist’s verdict or pictures are enough to serve as proof of why and you’re free to remove the tree.
Needless to say, cutting down trees without a permit will lead to bad things happening to good people, so be mindful. You can check if your state requires a permit to cut a tree down here.
Image credits: Laura Trippi (not the actual photo)
So, what are your thoughts? Why not log into your Bored Panda account, get down to the root of it all, write something folks wood not believe… I’ll stop.
Folks had mixed feelings about it, with one side questioning the cut-down and the other discussing prices
