A little discussion broke out in the office this morning after two of my co-workers came in complaining of blisters and aching backs. Rather than use Angie's List to hire someone to rake leaves, they took on the task themselves.

Peter rents a home that has only a few trees but his neighbor on the right has a huge maple tree that deposits (according to Peter) the lion’s share of its leaves on his lawn. Peter contends that because he doesn’t own the tree, his neighbor should be responsible for raking, bagging and disposing of the leaves. His argument is based on the theory that if a neighbor’s tree falls on your house, the neighbor is responsible for fixing your damage. His other example was if a neighbor’s dog does his/her business in your yard, it’s clearly the responsibility of the pet owner to pick up the deposit.

Cheryl owns her home, along with the sweet gum, magnolia and oak trees that dot her front lawn. Leaves from Cheryl’s trees fall on her lawn and the lawns of her next-door neighbors. The neighbor on the west side has a big maple tree that deposits leaves on Cheryl’s lawn. The neighbor on the east has only a small oak on the far side of his lawn, which doesn’t send leaves Cheryl’s way. Cheryl’s contention is that because the wind dictates where the leaves go, she’s responsible only for her own yard.