# My new neighbor thinks I'm a butthead. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 1, 2003, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-neighbor-thinks-im-a-butthead/158337 "2003-03-01T05:16:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-neighbor-thinks-im-a-butthead/158337/1 "2003-03-01T05:16:36Z")
Well, he didn’t say it but I could tell by the way he looked at me. This all started yesterday while I was at work. My wife called and said a guy with the power company was at our house and was going to shut off the power for about 8 hours so the new neighbor could cut down some trees. He said it was a safety measure. Despite my wife protests, she is stuck at home recovering from hernia surgery and can’t go out, the power was shut off. When I came home from work the power had just been restored. That is when I found out the new neighbor planned to cut down all the tree on his property including 8 Douglas firs, each about 75 feet tall. The guys cutting down the trees asked if it was alright to take down a tree on my property right next to the property line to make their job easier. I declined, it is the only shade in my front yard in the summertime. This morning my wife called and told me a guy climbed the tree in our front yard with a chainsaw. I told her to go tell him to get out of our tree, he claimed he was just going to clear some dead branches. When I got home from work, he had remove 75% of the branches on the tree. I was not impressed. I was looking forward to playing with my new computer and decided to deal with the tree later. About an hour later, one of the tree cutters comes to my door and wants to know if he can dig up a weeping crab apple tree in my front yard and he wanted to know how to take down my flag pole. Both are in the center of my front yard, at least 30 feet from the property line. When I asked why, he told me they needed the room to drop the trees in the neighbors back yard. I told him no, he could not dig up my tree or remove my flag pole, and I also told him that he was not to drop any trees on my property period. He left complaining how I was making his job a lot harder, I don’t think I should have to risk my house and property so someone can cut down some trees. 10 minutes later the new neighbor comes over and makes the same plea. I tell him no, I am not going to risk anything so he can take down trees. I also expressed my displeasure about mostly naked tree and the destroyed lilac bush in my front yard. I started that lilac with a cutting I took from a lilac at my mom’s old house. My mom planted that lilac many years ago and I took the cutting after she died. The new neighbor does not sound impressed and he turned to leave. He turned back for one more quick glance and I could tell by the look in his eyes. “Your a butthead.” Am I really being a butthead for not wanting 75 foot tall Douglas fir trees landing in my yard? ---
**Author:** ![the\_Lady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bb73d2/32.png) [@the\_Lady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_Lady)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-neighbor-thinks-im-a-butthead/158337/2 "2003-03-01T05:19:14Z")
Short answer: No. Long answer: No. ---
**Author:** ![imthjckaz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/imthjckaz/32/3223_2.png) [@imthjckaz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/imthjckaz)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-neighbor-thinks-im-a-butthead/158337/3 "2003-03-01T05:24:35Z")
I hate people like that. Tell him to bug off, he’s the butthead. ---
**Author:** ![sperfur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9adbd/32.png) [@sperfur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sperfur)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-neighbor-thinks-im-a-butthead/158337/4 "2003-03-01T06:02:05Z")
What a jerk! New guy moves in and decides what he wants to do with _your_ property? Some people! ---
**Author:** ![Seldon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seldon)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-neighbor-thinks-im-a-butthead/158337/5 "2003-03-01T06:04:24Z")
That’s just unbelievable. I really speechless. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-neighbor-thinks-im-a-butthead/158337/6 "2003-03-01T06:36:49Z")
You are perfectly justified in what you did. And you don’t owe anyone an explanation. Since you have to live next door to this pushy person, I would make an attempt to be pleasant – at a distance. ---
**Author:** ![truthbot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@truthbot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/truthbot)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-neighbor-thinks-im-a-butthead/158337/7 "2003-03-01T07:09:24Z")
**racer** , I’d be ticked if someone “pruned” my tree to the tune of 75%. I’m puzzled as to why this was necessary to facilitate the falling of trees on your neighbor’s property. A tip for your neighbor: SuperCuts may not be the best choice in landscapers! I miss the old days when neighbors used to borrow a cup of sugar. Expecting you to rearrange your landscape for his own convenience is a bit much. May I be so bold as to recommend you have a butt-shaped topiary delivered to your neighbor? ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-neighbor-thinks-im-a-butthead/158337/8 "2003-03-01T10:46:47Z")
Stand firm. It may be a dominance/bully thing. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-neighbor-thinks-im-a-butthead/158337/9 "2003-03-01T11:02:12Z")
Learn from **lieu** (see the Pit): Speak softly, but be sure you have plenty of friendly witnesses. ---
**Author:** ![petcat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5fc32e/32.png) [@petcat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/petcat)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-neighbor-thinks-im-a-butthead/158337/10 "2003-03-01T11:08:37Z")
No. You should not cave to this jerk. Just beware of the relationship and try to be pleasant. Be sure to take a page out of **lieu’s** [book](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=166327). ---
**Author:** ![Tir\_Tinuviel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@Tir\_Tinuviel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tir_Tinuviel)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-neighbor-thinks-im-a-butthead/158337/11 "2003-03-01T17:20:14Z")
We had some tit move in about 5 doors down from us, and the next day came round to **insist** we cut down the Silver Birch tree in our front garden as the roots were going to damage her property… She lived 5 doors away! ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-neighbor-thinks-im-a-butthead/158337/12 "2003-03-01T18:24:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tir Tinuviel \* > \*\*We had some tit move in about 5 doors down from us, and the next day came round to **insist** we cut down the Silver Birch tree in our front garden as the roots were going to damage her property… > > She lived 5 doors away! \*\* or agree. Cut down the birch, and plant a nice, safe oak 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-neighbor-thinks-im-a-butthead/158337/13 "2003-03-01T18:35:52Z")
I didn’t know Laurel and Hardy ran a tree service. Or maybe the Keystone Kops branched out (no pun intended). Seriously, our neighbor years ago had a 1500foot tall oak pulled down. It was about 30 feet from our house, yet they managed to remove it with no damage to anything on our property. Your neighbor and his incompetent tree people are buttheads, not you. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-neighbor-thinks-im-a-butthead/158337/14 "2003-03-01T18:37:02Z")
Of course that’s 150-foot, not 1500foot. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![broys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5e9695/32.png) [@broys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/broys)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-neighbor-thinks-im-a-butthead/158337/15 "2003-03-01T19:58:34Z")
That guy sounds like the butthead. My advice: Keep a bucket of war rocks in your house in case he comes back. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-neighbor-thinks-im-a-butthead/158337/16 "2003-03-01T20:03:55Z")
Can’t you complain to the police, or someone about the destroyed property? That’s outrageous! ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-neighbor-thinks-im-a-butthead/158337/17 "2003-03-01T20:17:02Z")
If he’d have asked nicely, he might be have been able to use your property. Destroying your tree first, well, what does he expect you to say?? I do wonder if there’s any legal recourse, but otoh, you don’t want to let him start a war. ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-neighbor-thinks-im-a-butthead/158337/18 "2003-03-01T21:37:22Z")
Now that the neighbor has removed all his trees does that mean he has a good view of your yard? If so I’d take the opportunity to fill it with as much eyesore crap as possible: Plywood fat ladies bending over Birdbath with boy peeing Shopping cart Assortment of whirling, clattering gee-gaws (flowers, ducks, etc) old box springs used as trellis for vining plants old major appliance of your choice (preferably rusting) Black lawn jockey with pink flamingo tethered to it (space permitting) 50 year-old car on blocks with weeds growing through the hood and don’t forget! Milk crates, milk crates, milk crates! THAT would make you a butthead, but it’d be worth it when he moves away. ---
**Author:** ![sperfur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9adbd/32.png) [@sperfur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sperfur)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-neighbor-thinks-im-a-butthead/158337/19 "2003-03-01T21:37:51Z")
I was gonna say, **Q.E.D.** , that’s some tree! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![parteee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9adbd/32.png) [@parteee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/parteee)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-neighbor-thinks-im-a-butthead/158337/20 "2003-03-01T21:59:09Z")
You have a right to sue. Destruction of your property is not insignificant, and trees have value, as you will quickly discover when you ask a garden shop to order you a mature tree. That’s what I did when my neighbor lopped off a few branches on my side of the fence which then had our kitchens looking directly into each other. Plus, to remove that problem I added two feet of solid trellis on my side of the fence. File in small claims so he can’t use a lawyer when the case is heard. Although he _did_ hire a lawyer at first, who simply called and asked what it would take to settle, and I said an apology, which I got. End of problem neighbor, who never said boo again. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-neighbor-thinks-im-a-butthead/158337.md?page=2)