plum tree roots

[greenhaven]

Hello everyone! I'm new here and I'm hoping someone might be able to give me suggestions for my tree problem.

I recently purchased a home in the Sacramento area and in our backyard are several trees, including a plum tree that's approximately 13 yrs old. It sits 3-4 ft from a fence that we share with another home. The person in that home is complaining that the roots of our tree are growing in her yard and wants something done about it. Apparently, this has been a problem she's had with previous owners of our home for the past 10 years and no one has ever done anything about it, herself included. She has suggested that we have the tree cut down which I would hate to do since it offers much needed shade during the hot summer months and it's a very pretty tree. This neighbor just threatened to take us to small claims court this weekend because nothing has ever been done about it. As we are new homeowners we had other priorities to deal with and didn't really have the funds to put into this problem.

I'd like to know what options might be available to me as far as controlling/removing the roots growing on her side. Is it possible to do this and how expensive would it be? Or is my only option to cut it down....which I would hate to do? I appreciate any suggestions you might have. Thanks

 

[treeclimber165]

Legally, your property line extends straight up and straight down. Your neighbor has the LEGAL right to do whatever she wants on HER property, although she could make things difficult for herself by alienating her neighbor(you). If SHE wants to cut the roots or limbs on or over HER property, you cannot stop her. But you have absolutely no obligation to destroy your tree on her behalf. Sounds like you will not appease her no matter what you do, so let her rant. She has no case and YOU might have a case against her if she kills YOUR tree.
People like that piss me off Good luck working out a friendly solution, but don't let her bully you into destroying your tree.

 

[greenhaven]

Thanks for your input Tree. My husband and I are still debating on whether to go over to her house this weekend and try to work something out with her, or to just wait and see if she's going to make good on her 'threat'. We figured she never really did anything short of complaining the last 10 years, so she can wait a little longer. Our house was formerly a rental property which is why she was never able to get the last owner to take care of it, I guess. What really ticks me off is that this area is full of beautiful big trees. This was one of the reasons we moved here so everyone has a neighbors' tree going over into their yard. We have roots from another neighbor's tree going into ours and we just pull them out! I don't know, maybe plum trees have really viscious roots?

~Green