It's always better to keep trouble between neighbours across the fence at bay as it helps maintain the serene environment of the residential area and the mental peace of people living there. Here is a personal account of how one such dicey situation was deftly handled when tree boughs arched over a neighbour's property.

Disputes stemming from problematic trees in the neighbourhood and arguments due to neighbours’ refusal to cut them down are common in Kerala. Legal recourse would take years to resolve leading to financial losses and emotional distress. Here is how the complicated issue was resolved.

In my village, large trees on the adjacent property had been a major nuisance to two neighbouring houses for a long time. Despite repeated requests to have them removed, the neighbour refused. When they tried to buy the trees, he quoted an exorbitant price.

One day, a timber merchant (who is also a friend of mine) approached the neighbour and offered Rs 45,000 for the trees. The owner demanded Rs 60,000. The merchant bargained, going up to Rs 55,000, but the owner remained firm at Rs 60,000, and the deal fell through.

The next day, the neighbours approached the timber merchant and said, "Finalize the deal for Rs 60,000; we will pay the extra Rs 5,000 rupees." Without informing the tree owner about this secret agreement, the merchant bought the trees for Rs 60,000 and had them removed that very day.

Note: Though the method is not straightforward, the incident holds relevance. A matter that remained unresolved despite polite requests for years was resolved amicably between the neighbours without any quarrel, through furtive scheming.

Footnote:
Had they confronted the neighbour again, escalating the situation, he might have refused to sell or cut the trees even for Rs 60,000 or Rs 100,000 rupees, out of spite. Meanwhile, legal action would have taken years and created a lasting animosity between the neighbours.

Despite the loss of Rs 5,000, they are now at peace of having solved a major problem. For those who value peace, this incident offers a significant lesson.

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