Neighbor Threatened to Kill Homeowner’s Trees, Then Their Leaves Started Dying

Three pear trees along a property line have become the center of an increasingly bitter neighborhood dispute in Maryland. One homeowner says the person next door spent years demanding their removal, even admitting that he once purchased chemicals with the intention of killing them.

Then, this spring, leaves began dying on the branches extending toward the neighbor’s yard. The homeowner suspects deliberate herbicide spraying, although they emphasize they have no direct proof.

In an Oct. 14 Reddit post shared with the r/treelaw community, homeowner u/codyvir described a conflict that began shortly after moving into the property four years earlier. The complaints, according to u/codyvir, escalated into harassment serious enough that the homeowner is seeking a restraining order.

The three trees are still standing, with some damaged branches showing new growth. Their survival, however, may be only one part of a dispute that has grown into something towering in its own right.

The Neighbor’s Complaints Escalated After Homeowner Refused Tree Removal

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My neighbor sprayed herbicide on my trees. Now what?
by
u/codyvir in
treelaw

U/codyvir shared that the Callery pear trees were planted by the property’s previous owners. Although their trunks stand on the homeowner’s land, branches extend over the boundary.

From their first conversation, the neighbor reportedly complained about the mess. Multiple times, the neighbor requested that the trees be removed.

Eventually, the homeowner proposed a compromise: the neighbor could pay to have the trees professionally taken down.

According to u/codyvir, there had been friendliness between the two. After that, however, their relationship deteriorated, “and he pretty much stopped talking to me altogether.”

In spring 2026, likely around May, the homeowner and their wife noticed dying foliage concentrated on the neighbor’s side. They also observed damaged grass beneath the branches.

In the comments, the homeowner acknowledged the difficulty of proving what happened.

“I have no reason to believe that he trespassed on my property, but I am certain that he sprayed the trees,” they wrote, adding that obtaining direct evidence was another matter.

Maryland Tree Laws Add Another Complication

University of Maryland Extension explains that herbicide exposure can cause distorted or dying foliage, although similar symptoms can result from weather conditions, pests, and plant diseases.

Does the neighbor have any right to cause such damage to nearby trees? According to the University of Maryland‘s agricultural law analysis, property owners generally may trim overhanging branches back to their boundary—without entering the adjoining property.

The situation is further complicated thanks to the type of tree the neighbors are dealing with here. Callery pear trees are considered invasive in Maryland. The Maryland Department of Agriculture added the species to its prohibited invasive-plant list in January 2026, with phased restrictions on sales.

“He is a terrible neighbor,” u/codyvir vented. “When he had Covid and when he had his knee surgery, I was right there offering to help him in anyway I could. Two months ago I was washing my car in my driveway – right next to these trees – and he began mowing his grass right next to me, and his riding lawnmower passed over the obvious patch of rocks and debris right next to where I was and kicked up a large rock into my face. I now have a pronounced scar on my cheek.” The homeowner also alleged that the neighbor had made threats just days before the Reddit post, although they did not specify what was said. They are, however, “in the process of seeking and restraining order.”

The homeowner decided his next move, and it’s a long play.

U/codyvir revealed that they had intended to remove the Callery pears eventually.

Now, after years of complaints and suspected herbicide damage, they’re determined to do the exact opposite.

“It had always been my intention to get rid of these trees, but I shall now strive to preserve them at all costs,” they wrote. “If nothing else, the squirrels love the fruit.”