Your home should be your safe haven, and you should feel more comfortable there than anywhere else in the world. But that can be a challenge when you walk outside and are immediately confronted with judgmental, rude and perhaps even crazy neighbors.

After one woman decided that her new neighbors had killed a century-old tree, she took it upon herself to raid their vegetable garden. Below, you’ll find the full story that was recently shared on Reddit detailing the drama that went down between neighbors, as well as some of the replies from invested readers.

After moving into a new home, this couple quickly learned that a neighbor was obsessed with their 100-year-old tree

Image credits: LightFieldStudios / envanto (not the actual photo)

So after the tree needed to be cut down, the neighbor began to hold a grudge

Image credits: Aurora Aguilar / pexels (not the actual photo)

Image credits: KATRIN BOLOVTSOVA / pexels (not the actual photo)

Image source: AQuietBorderline

Disputes between neighbors are incredibly common

Image credits: Yifan Gu / unsplash (not the actual photo)

“Being neighborly” usually means being friendly to those who live around you, inviting neighbors over for cake or a nice meal every once in a while and helping each other out whenever somebody needs a ride to the airport or an extra cup of sugar. In reality, however, most of us don’t actually treat our neighbors in this way. In fact, plenty of us don’t even like our neighbors at all!

According to LendingTree, a whopping 73% of Americans admit that they dislike at least one of their neighbors, and that number is even higher amongst Gen Z, those who live in apartments and those who live in the Northeast. And of course, living near people who you don’t like can often cause issues, as 11% of Americans say they’ve actually moved specifically because they didn’t like their neighbors. And over a quarter have considered making a move for that reason.

As far as why so many residents don’t like their neighbors, 28% say they “give off a weird vibe,” 27% say they make too much noise, and 27% say they’re simply rude. Those are the top reasons for residents getting under their neighbors’ skin, but they’re not the only ones. Pets causing disruptions also bothers neighbors, as well as people who are nosy. Residents hate when neighbors don’t maintain their home’s exterior, their kids are loud or unruly, guests steal parking spots, they smoke, they have different political views or they use their home for short-term rentals.

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Even petty theft amongst neighbors can lead to lawsuits

Image credits: August de Richelieu / pexels (not the actual photo)

While having an obnoxious neighbor certainly isn’t ideal, it’s usually not necessary to call the police or take your issues to court if they’re simply about a dog pooping on your lawn or kids playing loudly in their backyard. When it comes to stealing, however, then you just might have a case against your neighbor. As silly as it may sound, even newspaper theft is a crime, so stealing vegetables off a neighbor’s property is definitely illegal as well.

To prevent theft like this from happening again, Reolink recommends installing security cameras to catch your neighbors in the act. It’s also wise to keep a record of each steal, to have proof that it wasn’t an accident or a one-time thing. Do some research on your local laws as well to know what kinds of rights you have when it comes to pressing charges or bringing in law enforcement.

Don’t be scared to bring the issue up with your neighbor face-to-face, Reolink says, but understand that they may not respond well to all of the evidence you present. Stay calm, and state the facts of what you know and what the punishment could potentially be. If it doesn’t stop, you can file a police report or sue your neighbor. 

“You can sue neighbors for stealing mail, packages and newspapers from you,” Reolink writes. “Even for items of small value, small claims courts are to help you and punish thieves living next door to you.”

Homeowners are entitled to cut down dead trees on their property

Image credits: Karolina Grabowska / pexels (not the actual photo)

In this particular situation, the whole issue arose when a tree was cut down. While that should have been none of Karen’s business because it wasn’t her tree, there are sometimes factors homeowners need to consider before chopping down a tree. According to 8 Billion Trees, you can typically cut down a tree on your own property with no issues, as long as it’s not regarded as a protected species in your area. In that case, you may need a permit.

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Some states also have tree protection laws in place to try to prevent unnecessary tree removal. However, these protections apply to healthy trees only. 8 Billion Trees specifies that if a tree is dead, has already fallen in a storm or has been deemed dangerous by an arborist, no permits will be necessary to have it removed. 

We would love to hear your thoughts on this situation in the comments below, pandas. Do you think this couple handled the tree drama appropriately? Feel free to share, and then, if you’re interested in reading another Bored Panda article discussing entitled neighbors, look no further than right here!     

Amused readers shared their thoughts on the story and called out the woman for her obsession with the tree

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Some readers even had similar stories of their own to share

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