Some moved out entirely, abandoning their mortgages. Some sued their real estate agents. Some tried to sue me directly.
The HOA sued me. I countersued for the value of the trees, emotional distress, and legal fees.
We settled eight months later.
The HOA paid me $150,000. Issued a formal apology. Agreed to new restrictions on any work near property boundaries. Agreed to notify me of any future landscaping decisions that might affect my property.
And I granted a new easement. With stricter terms. Higher penalties for violations. And a clause that if they ever touched my property again without written permission, the revocation would be permanent with no option for appeal.
What Came After
It’s been two years now.
I used some of the settlement money to plant new trees. Not sycamores—they wouldn’t grow fast enough to provide the privacy and shade my house needed. But fast-growing poplars and maples that are already beginning to establish themselves, that already provide some protection from the ridge above.
