Know These Utah Laws When Neighbor’s Trees Invade Your Yard

I have a tree that hangs over my neighbor’s yard. My neighbor has never complained, but I wonder if I should do something about it. I also had a yard where the roots from my neighbor’s trees were destroying my lawn, so I dug them all out.  

Many of us who own a home deal with these issues. Here are three things to know about trees and the property line according to Utah law: 

Can you trim the branches that hang over your yard? Yes, you can trim the branches over your yard, but not into your neighbor’s side. However, don’t do anything that will kill the tree as you may be held liable. 

Property owners are entitled to help themselves remedy a situation that involves encroaching branches or roots. 

Does my neighbor need to clean up the leaves that drop in my yard? Nope, leaves are considered a product of nature, and you just have to clean up what blows in. You can see the wisdom in this as everyone would just cut down all the trees to save the trouble. 

Is it my tree if the branches are all in my yard and the trunk in the neighbors? Wherever the trunk sits determines who owns the tree. If the trunk straddles the line, both neighbors have responsibility to maintain it. 

Hopefully you have established a good relationship with your neighbor and don’t have to find out what the law says by going to court. By the way, thanks Tyler for being understanding of my tree branches.