Can I cut tree limbs that overhang my property?

We get asked this one a lot, so I’m just going to jump right in and answer. Yes, with a few limitations.

In Georgia, if a tree is on your neighbor’s property but the branches of that tree cross the property line and overhang your property, you may cut the overhanging branches back to the property line. You must do the cutting entirely from your side of the property line and cannot enter into your neighbor’s property to cut the overhanging branches. You also may not cut or damage the parts of the neighbor’s tree that are not overhanging your property.

Before you cut I would make two suggestions. First, call your neighbor and ask them if they would be willing to have their tree pruned. It’s cheaper, easier, and better for the tree to have all of its limbs pruned at once, instead of having the part of the tree that overhangs your property trimmed and the rest of the tree left untouched. Your neighbor may also decide to prune multiple trees at once, which can prevent other trees from overhanging the property line. If your neighbor agrees to prune the tree themselves it saves you the work or cost of doing it yourself and is usually viewed as more polite and neighborly then you cutting the limbs yourself.

Second, before you cut, make sure you know exactly where the property line is. If you cut the tree past the property line, you have trespassed and committed timber conversion; check before you cut.