Resident blindsided by 'rude' tree move in common neighbourhood dispute

The neighbour's act was 'upsetting' in more ways than one.

The tree stump left bare beside the fence in Melbourne (left) and the branches scattered across the yard (right).
The Melbourne resident's tree was cut and the cuttings were lobbed over their fence by a neighbour. Source: Reddit

Living in close proximity to neighbours can be challenging in densely populated Aussie cities and this week one resident was taken aback by the apparently "rude" behaviour of their neighbour, who they claimed had only uttered one friendly 'hello' to each other before the incident.

The avid gardener was shocked to find the cuttings of a plum tree, which stood in their backyard, hacked down with the branches left scattered on their side of the fence.

"We had a plum tree growing at the back of our old garage... the neighbour behind us decided they didn’t like [the] tree and cut it at the fence line," the Melbourne resident said online. "Then dumped it over our fence crushing a bloody tree I was growing."

They admitted they weren't particularly fond of the plum tree that was cut, but were "upset" the neighbour would choose to act this way.

"Honestly if he pruned it and disposed of it I wouldn't have an issue. Hell, if he spoke to me I'd have put it in my green bin," the resident said.

Trees and hedges that occupy space between boundary lines have long been a point of contention between neighbours, and this isn't the first time an Aussie has entered their backyard to find surprise trimmings on their side of the fence.

A homeowner was branded "unhinged" after a long-standing feud between them and their neighbour ended with the hedges being cut and thrown over the fence in an affluent Sydney suburb. In March, another Melbourne resident found cuttings of a once-protruding hedge scattered across their yard.

Hedge cuttings thrown over a fence and scattered across the yard (left) and a hedge cut in the middle where neighbours' boundary line sits (right).
Trees and plants on boundary lines have long caused tension between neighbours. Source: Reddit/Google Maps

In Victoria, residents have the 'right of abatement'. This means they can trim or cut back trees and plants that impede on their property even if the plant is rooted in a neighbour's yard.

However, this must be done at their own cost, the loose cuttings must be returned to the original owner without causing damage, according to the Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria.

This ultimately means the neighbour was acting lawfully by throwing the cuttings over the fence, however, the damage inflicted to the other tree is an issue. And cutting back the entirety of the tree, rather than just the branches impeding their property is inappropriate.

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