"No, not exactly." I put my survey on the table. My property line is here. I pointed to the boundary. If branches cross onto your side, you deal with whatever the law allows on your side.
You do not cross this line and remove my trees. Vanessa smiled. "No one is proposing that." I looked at her. "Good."
That sentence mattered because 1two days later she did exactly that. I left home at 6:30 on a Monday morning. We had a dock installation on the south end of the lake. I returned a little after 2:00. The first thing I noticed was the sunlight.
Too much of it. The western edge of my yard had always been shaded. Now afternoon light poured across the gravel. I slowed the truck then I saw the stumps. One, three, six, nine, twelve.
Twelve mature pines gone. Tree service truck was still parked near the fence. Vanessa stood beside it talking to the foreman. I got out. "What happened?"
The foreman turned. Vanessa didn't. I walked closer. "Who authorized this?" The foreman pointed at her.
"She did." Vanessa folded her arms. "The HOA approved view corridor restoration." "On my land?" "This is the historic maintenance strip."
"No, it isn't." "The board approved the work." "Did the board approve removing trees outside the Silver Ridge boundary?" Her expression changed slightly. "The boundary is disputed."
"No, Vanessa. A disagreement does not move a survey pin." The foreman looked uncomfortable. I turned to him. "Did she tell you the trees belong to me?"
He glanced at Vanessa. "She gave us the work area." "Did you verify ownership?" "The customer marked the site." Vanessa stepped toward us.
"Don't harass the contractor." I looked at her. "You had 12 trees cut down on my property." "They were obstructing the community view corridor." "They were mine."
"That remains disputed." "No, it remains inconvenient." The foreman started gathering paperwork. I said before you leave, I need your company information and the work order. Vanessa interrupted.
You do not. The foreman looked at her then at me. He handed me a business card. "Call the office. They'll send it."
"Thank you." Vanessa glared at him. "The HOA is your client." He looked toward the stumps, and those were apparently his trees. Nobody said anything.
Vanessa stayed. "You are not turning this into some ridiculous lawsuit." "I haven't decided what I'm doing." "The association acted in good faith." You were sitting 10 feet from me when your treasurer said there was no recorded easement.
We have legal arguments. You also told everyone nobody was proposing to remove trees from my property. That isn't what I meant. I know exactly what you meant. Then Vanessa looked through the new opening.
For the first time she could see my entire equipment yard. Her expression changed. "What is all that?" "My business. For 23 years."
"That is visible from Silver Ridge." "Now it is." "You need screening." I laughed. "I had screening."