How did that story end?
From personal experience 99% of what attorneys are paid to do is send threatening letters that have nothing to back them up.
In this case of course nothing happened. But my friend said his neighbor just gave him a dirty look from then on but that would have happened anyway.
If someone can sue you they probably will, If they don't have a case their lawyer will send you a stupid letter.
Not really. People will normally try to resolve things without going to court unless there is a time sensitive issue that they need emergency relief like a temporary restraining order to secure, or they just want to make a point more than get compensation, because resolution without court is cheaper (meaning they get to keep more of the recovery), quicker, and—where an ongoing relationship is involved—less likely to burn bridges.
People who can sue you, and would have you dead to rights, will often bend over backwards to avoid it as long as possible without losing the option if there is a plausible chance at resolution without going to court.
It's a legal lawyer scam. He get's probably $1K for sending a stupid letter, little old lady gets to pay her lawyer to do her bidding instead of walking over and simply saying hey, you tree limb is over my property or whatever.
Do you expect old frail ladies to have shouting matches with younger men twice their size?
I personally find my lawyer does way better at negotiations than myself, that's what I use him for.
I know a bit about tree law in the USA. Neighbors have a right to trim (they must do it, unless the tree is obviously diseased.)any part of a tree that comes over their property line. It's a bit more nuanced, but that's basically the law. (I belive the Tree Cutting outfit is suspose to cut the limbs with care. I mean they are not suspose to introduce pathogens from their tools onto your trees. I have Oak trees and worry about their health. I've noticed PG&E is hiring pretty much any out fit to trim trees. They are seemingly untrained. They don't know what that it's not the low voltage lines that are causing the fires? Years ago I noticed they don't seem to sanitize their chain saws. I once, before the fires, asked PG&E to spray a bit of bleach on their tooling through an email. The following day, there was a side show of sanitizer being sprayed everywhere, and they filmed it. I had no inclination of formally complaining. I just thought a quick clean might kill any pathogens. We have a problem in northern CA with Oak trees dying.
Oh yea, just because a healthy tree falls from your property and damages your neighbors property; it doesn't necessarily mean you are liable to repair their property. It's more complicated. If a lawyer reads this could you educate me?
I ended up just paying my neighbor, who's a lawyer, because a tree healthy tree fell on her property. The tree's trunk truck was 1/2 on the property line. I wasen't feeling good, and didn't want or could afford a fight with a miserable house bound attorney. From my understanding, I probally didn't need to pay anything. (I don't think she had a conversation with anyone without mentioned she passed the bar.)
Resorting to lawyers deserves a shit stain unless the above does not work first.