Massachusetts couple wins $310,000 judgment in neighbour tree dispute

A court dispute between neighbouring property owners in Massachusetts over damaged trees and illegal land encroachments has ended with a $310,000 judgment upheld on appeal, after the affected couple successfully handled their own case without hiring lawyers. The ruling by the Massachusetts Appeals Court is a major success for people who represent themselves in court. It shows that self-represented property owners can handle complicated land disputes and win large monetary awards against neighbouring property owners. The case focused on property boundaries, unauthorised encroachments, and the cutting and damage of mature trees. Those actions triggered state laws that protect trees and can greatly increase damages for illegal tree cutting and trespass on private property.Boundary disputes and property damageThe dispute began when the Massachusetts homeowners found that their neighbour had changed property boundaries and made unauthorised structural and physical changes that reached onto their private land.