Your Neighbor’s Tree Is Dropping Leaves Into Your Yard — Who Has to Clean Them Up?

Your neighbor may own the tree, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re responsible for the leaves falling into your yard. In most cases, homeowners must handle naturally fallen leaves on their own property, although deliberate dumping and dangerous trees can create different legal issues. MakroBetz/Shutterstock

Every fall, the same frustrating scene plays out in neighborhoods across America. Your neighbor has a beautiful, towering oak tree, but somehow you’re the one spending every weekend raking up its leaves. You didn’t plant the tree, you don’t own it, and you certainly didn’t volunteer to become its personal cleanup crew.

So, can you make your neighbor clean up the mess?