My Neighbour’s Tree Is Dropping Branches Into My Yard: What Can I Do

document what was done. Trying to do this yourself from your side of the fence often results in rough cuts that leave stubs, which opens the tree to disease and decay. If the situation feels beyond a DIY fix, Calgary Tree Works can step in to assess and handle it properly.

The Better First Step: Talking to Your Neighbour

The legal route is a last resort. The first practical step is a simple conversation.

Most people with a tree causing problems for a neighbour either do not know about the problem or have not really thought about it. A neighbour who hears “a large dead branch from your spruce is hanging directly over my kids’ play area” is generally going to be more willing to act than one who gets a letter from a lawyer.

Come to the conversation with something specific rather than a general complaint. “There are three dead branches hanging over my yard” is more useful than “your tree is a problem.” If you have photos, bring them. If you already have a quote from an arborist, that shows you are serious and prepared.

Most of the time, if the concern is real, neighbours will work with you. They may not know their tree has dead branches. They may not have thought about where a falling branch would land. People generally do not want to be responsible for damaging their neighbour’s property.

Offering to split the cost of professional pruning is a reasonable option if you want to move things along and can afford it. It removes the financial barrier and shows you are trying to solve a problem, not just complain.

What If Your Neighbour Refuses?

If your neighbour will not engage on a reasonable, documented concern about a hazardous tree, your options get more limited.

You can contact the City of Calgary’s 311 line if the tree is a genuine public safety concern, such as dead branches hanging over a sidewalk or public space. The city generally does not step into private disputes between neighbours about trees on private property, but they may get involved if public safety is at risk.

You can talk to a lawyer if there has been actual property damage and you believe the neighbour was negligent. This is usually only worth pursuing if the damage is significant, because legal proceedings cost money.

You can hire an arborist to write up a formal tree risk assessment. That document creates a record that the tree was identified as dangerous on a specific date. If you share that report with your neighbour in writing and they still do nothing and then something happens, that documentation matters in any discussion about who was responsible. These are often the same signs your tree needs professional attention.

You can also trim what hangs over your property, as described above, and live with the situation. Not satisfying, but sometimes the most practical resolution.

Ongoing Debris Is a Different Matter

Sometimes the issue is not a dangerous branch but ongoing leaf, seed or twig fall from a neighbour’s tree. This is generally not something you can force them to fix. Trees drop things. If a neighbour’s maple drops seeds into your garden beds every year, that is an inconvenience but not a legal problem.

If seeds from their tree are sprouting all over your yard and causing you constant work, or if roots from their tree are crossing the property line and affecting your lawn or garden, you can generally deal with what is on your side of the fence without needing their permission.

When the Tree Is On the Property Line

Trees that grow right on the property line are jointly owned by both property owners in Alberta. Neither person can remove or make major changes to such a tree without the other’s agreement. If a shared-boundary tree is causing problems, both owners need to be part of the conversation, and any decision about major pruning or removal requires both sides to agree.

This can get complicated. An arborist or a property lawyer who understands Alberta’s rules around shared trees is worth consulting if you are in this situation and cannot agree with your neighbour.

The Practical Summary

Talk to your neighbour first. Write down your concerns if the conversation does not produce results. Know that you can trim what hangs over your side of the line. Accept that you are not automatically entitled to have them pay for everything just because their tree inconveniences you. If it comes to hiring someone to handle the pruning or removal, see our guide on tree removal vs tree trimming, which does your property need.

Most neighbour-and-tree disputes that do not involve actual damage get resolved through a direct conversation and a professional pruning job. The ones that turn into real disputes are usually the ones where communication broke down early or where the damage was serious enough to make it worth fighting over.

None of that is what you want to hear when there is a large dead branch hanging over your car. But it is the realistic picture of how these situations usually play out. If you’d like a professional assessment of a problem tree, contact Calgary Tree Works.