Help Finding Lawn Debris Statutes

[jasn]

I'm curious, is blue blowing leaves and snow onto red? Or is red blowing it on to blue or yellow? Or is yellow blowing it onto green or red? Or is green blowing it onto yellow?

What I'm curious about is whether or not a "generally accepted easement" of some kind is applied to these long cul de sac driveway properties, (ours are 500 to 1000 feet), regarding the blowing of leaves or snow off of the driveway only, onto the adjoining properties.

Thanks..

 

[alicejohn]

Do you own the blue property or the red?

I would think red would have to remove the leaves to somewhere else on his property. Of course, red could do nothing and let nature blow them away. Although blue may not be happy with that solution, I don’t see how it would be illegal (littering).

I would think snow is a different story. Since snow melts, I don’t see how it would be littering to blow snow on the neighbor’s lawn. As long as red does not damage any of blue’s property (broken bushes, messed up landscaping, dented vehicles, etc) or creates a hazard (blows snow on blue’s driveway which blocks the driveway), I don’t see how it would be illegal (or un-neighborly) to blow it on blue’s property.

Regarding the ownership of trees, I have read that the portion of the tree that is on or over a given property belongs to the respective owners. Therefore, if blue had a line of trees on his property along the property line, red could trim the trees where it crosses the property line. The only caveat is that anything red does to the tree can’t kill it.

One more thing, if red and yellow own the properties where the driveways are located (the drawing suggests that), the properties are commonly called flagpole lots. Therefore, I doubt if there is an easement to allow access to the red or yellow property. The pole for my flagpole lot is 20 ft wide for a 10 ft driveway.

 

[sm8]

The burden of proof is also on the complainer. They would have to get surveyors to come out and mark the property line and I doubt it would be worth hundreds of dollars to some one over a little snow that will melt.

 

[nutz]

Thanks..

Talk to your neighbor, invite them over for tea and cookies (beer and chips, w/e). This is kinda your fault for buying the property with a flag lot behind it.

 

[GregV814]

I' ve got it.........cut the trees down, burn the firewood, stay warm, pollute the air with your infamous "carbon footprint".... (anger the Sierra Club), then with fireplace burning, melt some of the "neighbors" snow, pour it on his car thus breaking his windshield.

sincerely, Raum Emanuel

 

[GregV814]

wait a minute...hold up.......since the inception of the rain tax, this may be a criminal action...if his snow melts on YOUR property you will be taxed on it!!!!! Call the Department of Commerce....

 

[FED_UP]

Can someone help point me to the actual Maryland laws that govern lawn debris removal? I live in Calvert County and am currently involved in a dispute with a neighbor over leaf blowing legalities which later in the year, turns into snow blowing issues as well.

I believe that most state laws state that if leaves fall onto your property, you are responsible for them, regardless of the location of the tree. You can't simply move them onto a neighbor's property, as that's considering either littering or trespassing, depending on the local statute.

However, in the case of a property with a long driveway, bordered by neighbors' properties, are there typical, (or implied), easements to allow blowing the driveway leaves and snow onto the bordering properties in a half and half manner?

Any advice or pointers to the actual Maryland statutes is greatly appreciated..

Sounds like you and the neighbor just need to have an adult conversation and come to an agreement, like possibly cleaning up together with a beer. Why must everyone run to the court today and need legal documents, what about legal common sense, its free. Well unless you dealing with an azzhole.