Isn’t it a great feeling when you finally get all those leaves cleaned up and the yard is looking perfect?
Chances are it took you hours and lots of raking, mowing, and blowing to get the job done.
The problem, of course, with raking and picking leaves up is that it just doesn’t last.
At the end of the day, you are probably going to look back out your window and see that the issues are starting back up again.
This is a frustrating feeling, and it can make quite a bit of sense to get annoyed when some of the leaves in your yard are coming from your neighbor’s house.
Some neighbors seem to do this on purpose and blow leaves your way, while others truly have no idea of the headache that they are causing you.
If you happen to have leaves blowing into your yard from the neighbors, we have a few solutions that could help you get through this process.
How to Stop Neighbors Leaves from Blowing in Your Yard
When your neighbor’s leaves start blowing in your lawn, chances are it is because they have no idea this is happening.
Most people have so much going on in their daily lives that they don’t realize that their large oak in the corner of their property is dumping buckets of leaves in your yard every autumn.
The situation is unfortunate, and clearly, you have the choice to simply clean the leaves up and say nothing.
There are, however, a few other options.
If you are curious as to the best ways to handle this, consider these four ways.
1. Installing a Fence
Do you have a fence between your and your neighbor’s yards?
Would a fence help to keep some of the leaves from blowing or falling into your yard?
Most of the time, a fence is not a perfect solution, but it can work.
When you install a fence, you have to think about the type of fence you are using and also the regulations in the neighborhood or community.
Sometimes there are certain types of fences you are allowed to use, and you always have to be very careful about property lines when you are putting fences in place.
In addition, a fence like a chain link is not going to be a good choice for keeping leaves from traveling from one yard to the next.
Honestly, this just creates a bit of a mess because the leaves all pile up near the bottom of the fence and get stuck in the chain links.
There are other stockade-type options that will really create a complete block between the two properties.
Something like this would be the best choice if you can afford it and you think that it will create the barrier you are going to need.
2. Creating a Wire Mesh Net
Believe it or not, you are not the only one who is experiencing these issues with leaves in your yard.
Many people have had this exact problem for years, and it has led to some interesting solutions and ideas.
One of those ideas is the wire mesh net.
You will have to work a bit to establish a solution for this, but you can essentially set up a net that will catch the leaves from the neighbor’s yard and not allow them to come into your yard.
You can then take the leaves from the net and bag them, or you can give them back to your neighbor.
The net can be set up in certain areas of your yard where the issues may exist, or you can also set it up so that it blocks leaves from the tree from falling in your yard.
You can be creative about how you set up this net, but make sure that whatever modifications you are making are on your side of the property line.
If you start installing things in the neighbor’s yard, this is where problems will arise.
Neighbors will hopefully have the ability to get along with each other, but sometimes these types of issues are what really cause problems.
You can prevent that from happening by making sure that you respect the property line and the property of your neighbor.
Wire or mesh nets can be purchased in a variety of different sizes, and they are generally easy to work with when it comes to installation.
Always get something that is aesthetically pleasing for your own home.
If you end up with a net that works well but is a tremendous eyesore in the yard, it is not a perfect solution.
3. Asking Neighbors to Trim Trees
Although this may seem like an obvious thing to try, it is actually quite hard to do for some people.
If you don’t have a great relationship with your neighbors, asking them to trim their trees is likely not going to make the relationship better.
The best way to go about making this request is to make sure that you are clear and polite about the issues that you are having.
Tell the neighbor that the trees from their yard are becoming a bit of a burden and you are trying to think of the best possible solutions.
In order to have them take you seriously, it is smart to have the rest of your property looking good.
If you have debris and leaves all over your property, it won’t seem as though you can say much about the leaves they have coming from their trees.
If your yard looks great otherwise, then maybe they will understand why it bothers you.
If you have the tools and the ability to trim the trees yourself, you may want to ask the neighbors if this is an option for them.
Some people will handle this complaint quite easily and tell you that they will trim the tree or take care of the issues that are causing all of the leaves to blow in your yard.
Others will not be so nice.
It’s a good idea to try to get to know your neighbor a bit prior to simply asking them for something.
4. Offering to Cut Tree Down
We hate to see a tree get cut down because of an inconvenience.
If the tree is causing a few extra bags of leaves per year, it is really not necessary to cut it down.
If, however, there are issues with the tree leaving debris on a car or trashing a pool with the leaves that it drops, then there may be some issues that need to be addressed.
When leaves are being left on the roof of your home or car, they can start to break down and cause issues.
The paint job on your car can be ruined by letting leaves sit on it.
This often happens because, when people plant trees, they don’t properly plan for how big they are going to get.
Cutting down a tree is not the best thing for the environment and it should be avoided whenever possible.
The problem, of course, is that sometimes this can’t be avoided.
If the issue is really bad and the tree is on your neighbor’s property, you can offer to cut the tree down.
The cutting down of the tree is probably going to cost a few hundred dollars depending on where you live and the size of the tree.
Your neighbor will have to agree to this, and they will likely not want to pay for any of it themselves.
You will probably have to have your neighbor approve the landscaping company and whether or not they are licensed.
Since the work will take place on the neighbor’s property, it will be important that they are adequately protected from a liability standpoint.
Am I Responsible for Leaves that Fall into My Neighbor’s Yard?
Are you responsible for some leaves falling into your neighbor’s yard?
Legally, you are not responsible for the leaves that fall into your neighbor’s yard.
You should do everything you can in the course of being a good neighbor to make sure that they don’t trash your neighbor’s property.
However, there are times when a few leaves blowing into the other lawn is not going to be avoidable.
In general, it is a good idea to plant trees, plants, and shrubs a little away from the property line.
If you do this, you can make sure that the leaves that are falling are going to mostly be on your own property.
This makes it much easier for you to clean up and for your neighbors to stay happy about the overall look of their yard.
What Happens If One of My Trees Causes Damage to a Neighbor’s Property?
If you happen to experience a storm that causes some damage to your neighbor’s property, things can get a bit tricky.
If this were your tree that caused the damage, you would have to pay for the problems that it caused at your neighbor’s house.
The good news is that the price you pay for this repair will likely be covered by your homeowner’s insurance policy.
Homeowner’s insurance covers things that happen at your home or because of your home as well.
This is a great benefit and one that should give you peace of mind as a homeowner.
If your neighbor approaches you and they are a bit heated about some damage that was done to their property, calmly call your homeowner’s insurance company and see what they can do to help you.
Certain policies will have this laid out very clearly and give you the information you need to clear this up without issue.
It is not worth getting into a battle with your neighbor about this.
You will be able to clearly see the best way to proceed with the information included in your policy.
You may have a deductible that you need to meet, but that is relatively standard for a homeowner’s insurance policy.
Overall, the damage will probably be much more affordable to fix than it looks like it will be.
Conclusion
The leaves blowing in from a neighbor’s yard is a very frustrating experience.
If you have a great relationship with your neighbor, try to calmly explain why this is so frustrating for you.
Most good neighbors will do what they can to help fix the issue or develop a solution.
Maybe all it comes down to is the neighbors picking up their leaves a bit more often.
This could be a simple solution that they can implement immediately to get the job done.
Overall, you should be calm and polite, and your neighbor will likely work with you on a solution.
Nobody likes more work caused by a tree that isn’t theirs.
That is something that all people will have in common.
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