A woman says a company entered and cleared her property without permission. Here's why people say the missing trees could make her wealthy.
A North Carolina woman says she awoke to the sound of developers ripping up her property. Now, commenters say she’s in for a big payday.
According to TikTok user Alexia Arvelo (@lexiarvelo), she and her partner own property that extends beyond a posted fence in their backyard. One day, they away to discover that a company was trying to tear down trees on the property—and while they attempted to get the company to stop, she says that her pleas were ineffective.
“They ended up clearing it anyways,” Arvelo states.
From here, the story gets even stranger—and it has a lot of people discussing the intricacies of tree law. Is tearing up someone’s trees really that big of a deal?
What Happened To This Woman’s Property?
In a follow-up video, the Fayetteville, North Carolina-based TikToker states that the couple reached out to the police. They also asked for a surveyor to come and assess the property, which at the time of recording had not yet occurred.
Arvelo adds that there are no tree stumps left on the property, as the company removed several trees, including their roots. That said, she notes that the property was previously home to multiple large trees—trees that she says the company removed without permission.
“We had markers on our property. Everything was marked. And I think if we wouldn’t have came out here and said anything, they would have continued,” she explains in a video.
Arvelo states that she showed the workers the plat of their property, which they received when they purchased the home. She says that her information did not match the company’s.
In the time since, she and her partner have received an updated property plat and other related documents. Now, they are looking for an attorney to represent them.
Can This Really Make Her Wealthy?
In the comments section, multiple users insisted that, if someone rips up your trees, you might be entitled to a lot of money.
“Call a lawyer because you’re going to be a VERY RICH LADY!” reads one comment. “Tree laws are very very serious and you can get up to 50 grand per tree. Call a lawyer.”
“Property lawyer here. One of my client was paid out 20k per tree after 3 months in court. Exact same situation,” claimed another.
“Retirement fund has begun,” stated a third.
But is tree law really that serious? The answer, to the surprise of many, is a clear “yes.”
North Carolina General Statute § 1-539.1 says plainly that someone who enters another person’s property without permission and cuts, injures, or removes trees, shrubs, timber, or wood is liable to pay the landowner “triple the value of such wood, timber, shrubs or trees so injured, cut or removed.”
Even if the company was truly misinformed about the property line, that does not free them from liability. Instead, they are still liable to the property owner, though they can seek reimbursement from whoever provided them with the incorrect property information.
How Much Money Can One Get From This?
Seeing this, one may read the phrase “triple the value” and immediately see dollar signs. But how much money are we really talking about here?
It’s a bit difficult to say. Experts determine value using a variety of factors, such as trunk size, species, condition, location, and function. This means that the value of a tree can vary considerably—a cheap, small, ornamental tree may not bring in a lot, while a large, rare, purposeful tree could be worth significantly more.
Still, the answer seems to be “a fair bit of cash.” For example, one Arbor Day Foundation circular from 2018 notes that “a 15-inch diameter English oak was valued by the Council of Tree & Landscape Appraisers at $4,400.” If a single tree can be worth thousands, damage to as many trees as Arvelo claims could result in payments of tens of thousands—though this is simply speculation without further details about the trees.
However, no matter how big of a payment she potentially receives, it will not replace the trees. For that, she and her partner will simply need to plant new ones.
@lexiarvelo Y’all… they’re clearing our land and I have QUESTIONS 👀😭😂 #fyp #fypシ #fypage #clearingland
BroBible reached out to Arvelo via email and Instagram direct message.