How do I get rid of neighbors huge tree branches?

Question

My neighbors have two hugh Oak trees which hang over into my backyard. The leaves, believe it or not have already started to fall, and every morning my pool is covered with them. How do I get rid of these branches. My neighbors are really great but they won't get rid of the trees. Come the fall I get over 80% of the leaves. It may sound crazy but I have no trees on my property (less than a 1/4 acre) but because of their trees I bag about 50 bags of leaves a year.
I've thought about hiring someone but the cost is unbelievably high, even to just trim the branches off my property line. Should I sneak over there at night and try to weaken the tree somehow.
I'm really at a loss what to do. Thanks for your help.

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Voters

You shouldn't assassinate your neighbor's tree. If the trees don't actually infringe on your property (roots under the structure, branches preventing access to all sides of your house), unfortunately for you, it is your responsibility to clean up the leaves on your property. If the trees hang over and drops leaves, this is a gray area that would best be resolved by you and your neighbor. You can hire a lawyer to investigate the real estate law, but that would be pricey and would cause bitterness between you guys. Find a peaceful agreement to deal with the trees.

Answer 2

My neighbor hated my mulberry tree, because it dropped berries by the thousands on his asphalt.

He offered to pay half if we'd cut it down. So we did. While we were at it, we had some major pruning done all over our yard, so now a satellite view shows there's a house on this property!

Can you cover your pool when you're not using it?

Answer 3

Unforteunatly its a problem you have to deal with not your neighbour. you can either cut the branches off, carry on with what your doing, or do what i do, throw everything back over the fence!!!

Answer 4

the overhanging branches are your responsibility. if it hangs over your property, you can cut it. i would approach the neighbors and tell them your problem. they may or may not contribute to the cost of trimming the branches. but you have the right to trim them yourself. do not do anything to the tree on their property. not nice. but you might just find out how really great your neighbors are. also, do not throw leaves back over on their property. the leaves belong to you. good luck

Answer 5

I had the same problem.............
I just got up there with a new saw I bought from Home Depot and i trimmed those suckers way back.
You can do the same.
Good Luck

Answer 6

cutting off some branches on your side won't help with the leaves that will blow over to your side from the rest of the tree!!.... and it would make matters stinky if the neighbor didn't like your trim job.... why not leave the tree alone and come up with something intelligent to keep the leaves out of your pool..... btw... it's almost September.. fall... leaves drop, ya know?.... I have to put a stretch of bird netting over my pond to keep falling leaves out... perhaps you could come up with something like that for the pool?.... or kinda like those nets behind some sports?... they're loose and floppy, not like batting cages, but still stop wayward balls?... something like that would keep a lot of leaves from going in the pool...???....

the both of you should be returning those leaves to the soil with all their nutrients ... make compost piles!!!.... don't bag them and let someone take them away!!!.. and then turn around and put fertilizer on everything!!.... make compost with them!.... if both of you have piles, those leaves will be a blessing instead of a pain in the tookus!.....and... with a mulching mower, you can get some of them back into the lawn for good stuff there, too!.... get a lawn vac if it's too much to rake... you can rent them, ya know?..... shoot... I gotta go steal the bagged leaves from everyone else's curbs cuz all I have is pine trees and I need the leaves for MY compost!!!... quitcherbiotchin' and USE "EM!!!..