Neighbors Trees and Fences

[Brandon Johnson]

The neighbor to the left of my rental has a large tree with overhanging branches that could become a problem for my property and my tenants.  How can I get the neighbor to pay to maintain the tree and cut the branches that overhang?  The neighbor to the right of me has a fence that is falling down towards my driveway. It will likely fall over and cause damage to my tenants vehicles or even worse, a person.  How should I handle this?

[Marc Winter]

@Brandon Johnson, if the branches are overhanging onto your yard, you can trim/cut that part of the tree.  If you ask politely and the neighbor accepts responsibility, they MIGHT do the trimming, but if they decline, there isn't much you can force them to do.

The fence:  speak kindly with your neighbor and ask that they shore it up properly, and that it is a danger to you and your property.  If they refuse, I'd contact your municipality's zoning/building department and put them on notice of this unsafe condition.  Just remember, by doing so, you won't be making any friends, but it should get someone's behind in gear.

Good luck.