The neighbours' tree drops fruit into my garden. Can I keep the apples?
The complainant says
My neighbour has a big apple tree whose branches hang over my garden. Every autumn hundreds of apples drop onto my lawn. For years I've raked them up and binned them, which is a chore.
This year I picked the good ones from my side of the fence and made chutney, which I gave out to friends. My neighbour saw and said the apples are hers and she'd have liked to be asked. She said she'd have happily shared if I'd knocked.
The other side says the neighbour, as the complainant tells it
She says fruit from her tree is her fruit wherever it lands, and she uses a lot of the apples for baking. She doesn't mind sharing, but taking them without asking felt rude.
Jury discussion (5 comments)
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Take her a jar of the chutney. Genuinely the best way to end this.
Chutney diplomacy.
Years of raking up her apples for free and the one year you make something nice with them she's upset.
Technically I think the fruit does belong to the tree owner. But morally, fallen apples on your lawn are your problem and your prize.
Offer her first pick next autumn. Everyone wins.