Rude Neighbor Cuts Down Man’s Tree, Gets Taught An Expensive ‘Lesson’

He’s Doing It

Vigo felt rage rising through his body. He had told his neighbor not to chop down his tree.

But that’s when he got a phone call from his wife while he was at work. “He’s doing it!” She said with urgency in her voice.

He couldn’t just leave work early. But there was something about the tree that his neighbor didn’t know.

Rushing Home

Ever since the phone call, Vigo felt rage coursing through his body. He tried to focus on work, but he couldn’t get anything done.

He needed to rush home at the first opportunity.

Finally, five o’clock rolled around, and he raced to his car. He drove as fast as he dared without breaking any laws. He wondered if he would be fast enough to stop what was going on.

Seeing The Carnage

After twenty minutes, he finally got home. But pulling into his driveway, he saw the carnage that his neighbor had left for him.

Where his beautiful tree once stood was now a melancholy stump.

He was too late. He couldn’t prevent his neighbor from destroying the tree in his yard. As Vigo fell to his knees and examined the wreck, he knew he would make sure his neighbor paid.

Repercussions

Vigo’s neighbor had done something very stupid. He had no idea what he had done to destroy the tree.

Not only did that mean Vigo had no more shade over his house, but it also had other, much greater consequences.

He shook his head in frustration. The foolish neighbor had done it for the pettiest of reasons. But now Vigo would be breathing down his neck.

Justice Served

Vigo was now on damage control. He pulled out his phone and called a number he wished he’d never have to.

Once they answered, all he said was, “He did it. My neighbor did it.” 

After those words, he ended the call and put his phone away. Soon, justice would be served, and once his neighbor got the bill, only then he’d understand what he did.

Vigo Johanson

Vigo Johanson lived in the Netherlands with a beautiful wife. Most people that passed by him on the street didn’t pay much attention to him. He looked like a regular Joe just getting by.

But Vigo harbored an important secret. One he knew he couldn’t tell anyone. It reflected in his hobbies at home.

Of all the things he tended to and nurtured, he loved his tree more than anything else.

His Tree

Vigo loved nature and everything in it. He loved tending to his garden in the spring and always waited for the green to emerge from the snow in winter.

During the cold months, he’d look to other things in nature while his garden was hibernating.

There was one thing in his garden that he loved more than anything else. It was a large tree that sat in his front yard. But someone else detested it.

His Neighbor

Vigo’s neighbor, Henrick, detested the tree. In autumn and spring, it would always drop leaves and berries into his yard.

The neighbor hated having to sweep them up and wanted to bring his concerns to Vigo.

This wasn’t the first time he’d muttered something under his breath to the tree, and Vigo knew that he hated it, but he had never actually done anything until now.

Walking Up To Him

One day, just as Vigo came back from a run, he noticed his neighbor eyeing the tree from his yard. It was a look of frustration and anger.

Vigo knew the tree was a large source of misery for his neighbor, but he had to keep it around.

That’s when the neighbor noticed him running past to get to his house. He took the opportunity to walk up to him. He had an unreasonable request.

Preparing Himself

Vigo saw him coming and prepared himself for the conversation he was about to have. He opened his mouth and said, “Hello.

You need to do something about that tree. It’s messing up my yard.” 

He knew Henrick was going to bring his tree up. But he had no kind of resolution for the frustrated man. He wasn’t going to budge.

Butting Heads

The two men were about to butt heads. “I’m sorry, but I can’t think of any way to solve your problem,” Vigo said.

He felt back for his neighbor, but there was nothing he could do.

Unfortunately for him, his neighbor wasn’t going to stay reasonable and level-headed forever. He was going to snap.

Cleaning Up

Vigo thought that the matter was settled. The next week, he noticed his neighbor cleaning up the berries and leaves from his yard. Was this the compromise that he had come to?

He considered helping the man out. Maybe he should help pay for a garden service every so often when it gets bad.

But before Vigo could put any plans into fruition, his neighbor would do the unthinkable.

Threats

Henrick was sick and tired of cleaning up a mess that wasn’t even his. That’s when he did something that no one expected. One evening, Vigo got home to see Henrck waiting for him. 

He had a deranged look in his eye. Vigo got out of his car quickly to confront him, but that’s when he noticed that he had something in his hand.

But when he realized what it was, his blood went cold.

An Ax

The neighbor ran up to Vigo and shouted, “That tree has caused me pain for the last time.

If you don’t do something about it, I will!” As he ran to the man. Then Vigo realized what he was holding.

In his hand was a long woodcutting ax. That’s when he realized just how far the man was willing to go to get rid of the tree. He had to talk some sense into him.

Reasoning

“Look at yourself! Gain some sense, and then we can talk about a resolution. But I can tell you can’t be reasoned with right now.”

Vigo shouted at the man. He looked down at the ax and started shaking.

He turned around and headed back to his house. But he had shown his hand. Vigo now knew that the man was serious.

Concerned

Vigo headed inside after the confrontation and noticed that his wife had been watching from the window.

She had a look of grave concern on her face. “I thought he was going to kill you!” She shouted.

But Vigo assured her it was only because of the tree that he was wielding an ax. But that didn’t excuse him. Especially now that he had snapped.

Snapped

The next day, Vigo had to head to work while his wife stayed home to look after the property. She worked primarily from home and could keep an eye on things while he was away.

But little did the couple know that Henrik wasn’t going to work either.

He was sitting in his living room, busy plotting a scheme to make sure that he would be rid of the tree and the pains that came with it.

A Delivery

Just a few hours after Vigo left for work, Henrick had a delivery truck drop a parcel off. Vigo’s wife, Joanna, watched from the window. What was he plotting?

Then, just minutes later, Henrick came out with what had just been delivered. He had upgraded from his ax and headed towards the tree.

Joanna couldn’t believe what she saw. She had to call Vigo.

A Chainsaw

Henrick had finally snapped. He had ordered a chainsaw online and had it delivered just minutes ago.

He filled it up with petrol and then headed straight for the tree.

There was a fire in his eyes that burned with hate. He wanted that tree gone, but he didn’t know why Vigo was insistent on keeping it up. He’d soon learn the hard way.

A Call From Home

Vigo felt rage rising through his body. He had told his neighbor not to chop down his tree.

But that’s when he got a phone call from his wife while he was at work. “He’s doing it!” She said with urgency in her voice.

He couldn’t just leave work early. But there was something about the tree that his neighbor didn’t know. 

As Fast As He Dared

Ever since the phone call, Vigo felt rage coursing through his body. He tried to focus on work, but he couldn’t get anything done.

He needed to rush home at the first opportunity.

Finally, five o’clock rolled around, and he raced to his car. He drove as fast as he dared without breaking any laws. He wondered if he would be fast enough to stop what was going on.

Destroying His Tree

After twenty minutes, he finally got home. But pulling into his driveway, he saw the carnage that his neighbor had left for him.

Where his beautiful tree once stood was now a melancholy stump.

He was too late. He couldn’t prevent his neighbor from destroying the tree in his yard. As Vigo fell to his knees and examined the wreck, he knew he would make sure his neighbor paid.

Something Stupid

Vigo’s neighbor had done something very stupid. He had no idea what he had done to destroy the tree.

Not only did that mean Vigo had no more shade over his house, but it also had other, much greater consequences.

He shook his head in frustration. The foolish neighbor had done it for the pettiest of reasons. But now Vigo would be breathing down his neck.

Damage Control

Vigo was now on damage control. He pulled out his phone and called a number he wished he’d never have to.

Once they answered, all he said was, “He did it. My neighbor did it.” 

After those words, he ended the call and put his phone away. Soon, justice would be served, and once his neighbor got the bill, only then he’d understand what he did.

Had No Idea What He’d Done

Vigo sat down on his chair in his living room and contemplated what had happened.

He couldn’t protect Henrick from what was coming his way. He just had to accept it.

It wouldn’t be long for “them” to arrive. Henrick had no idea what he had just done. All Vigo could do was sit and wait to hear the car arrive to give him his payback.

A Car Arrives

It didn’t take long for Vigo to hear it. The sound of an engine got closer and closer until it was right outside of his house.

He looked outside and saw a black car parked on the pavement.

Men got out and walked up to the tree stump. They started examining it. That’s when Vigo came out to see if he could help in any way. But he knew his neighbor’s fate was sealed.

A Fine

Vigo explained what had happened to the men. They immediately turned to look at Henrick’s house and approached it.

They knocked on his door, and after a minute or two, he answered.

“Hello, sir, we’re with the government, and we’re here to enforce the Nature Protection Act. Do you know what kind of tree you cut down, sir?” The man in charge asked the neighbor.

Juniper Tree

The frustrated neighbor shook his head angrily, knowing that they were there for him. The man then explained that what he had cut down was a Juniper tree.

A lot of people were unaware that they were endangered in the Netherlands.

The men told him that the neighbor would have to pay a hefty fine for what he had done. He seemed bitter about it, but he hadn’t heard how much he’d have to pay.

1.2 Million

That’s when they handed him the official statement from the government stating that he had to pay a fine of 18,500 Euros monthly for the next five years.

The neighbor couldn’t believe it.

He’d have to take out a loan or find other means to pay so much. It would total just over 1,12 million Euros or 1,2 million dollars. But luckily, there were other means.

Community Service

They did give the neighbor an alternative. They told him that he wouldn’t have to pay the fine if he did 8 hours of community service per week. He got so used to cleaning up the berries and leaves. What about trash on the highway?

Vigo felt bad, but Henrick should have just listened to him. There was no cutting down an endangered species when the government was ready to hand out fines. Still, at least he would learn his lesson.

To protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblances to actual events, places, or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.