Have you ever had to deal with a petty neighbor? If not, you’re lucky. However, if you have, then you might completely relate to the madness and overall pettiness within this story. People can be wild… I’m really not too sure what goes through the minds of some folks but maybe it’s better that way. It takes all sorts to make the world go ’round, right?
Our tale of absurdity takes place in the town of Sheffield, UK. Bharat Mistry and his lovely family came home to find their 25-year-old fir tree in the front yard had been cut in half. Exactly in half, right down the middle. “Why would anyone do this,” you might ask. Well, the other half of the tree was hanging over their neighbor’s property line. Apparently, the neighbor was upset about this tree and decided to enact some extreme pettiness. This strange event has grabbed the attention of media outlets across the world, and Sheffield has become a bit famous. People have come from far and wide to see the “tree of pettiness.“
Mistry said the neighbor was upset by the birds the tree was attracting, and the mess they were leaving behind. We all know that birds live in trees, it’s a bit shocking that this is news to the neighbor. However, not only was the neighbor angry about these crazy tree birds, they knew deep down that the tree was to blame. So, they took their vengeance out on the tree by getting someone to come over and chop half the tree down.
A Petty Neighbor Does a Petty Thing
LadBible reports that Mistry said “It has been there for 25 years and we’d trimmed into a ball shape with agreement with the neighbor and he has been fine about it. But recently there have been birds in the tree which you would expect at this time of the year. He started off by putting black bin liners in the tree to stop the birds sitting there. Last weekend he said he was going to get a tree surgeon to cut it down and we asked him not to but they came on Friday and did it.”
Unfortunately, the neighbor wouldn’t listen. Even though Mistry says that he never saw any evidence of “birds making a mess” on the neighbor’s car and that his family couldn’t hear the birds the neighbor was complaining about. The neighbor was adamant about chopping the tree, and to the horror of the Mistry family, they watched their beloved tree get hacked in half.
Mistry said that the neighbor “can get his car on and off the drive with no issues. We had asked if we could get it trimmed back and put a net in it so it would stop birds getting in, but there was no compromise with them.” Sadly, once friendly neighbors are now at odds with each other because of this tree tragedy. Mistry hasn’t spoken to his neighbors since this happened. His children and the neighbor’s grandchildren used to play together, and now it’s unlikely that will happen. All over a tree and some birds who are just trying to live their best bird lives.
When you are a petty neighbor, everyone pays the price for your pettiness. Be kind out there folks, the world has enough rude people!