Two California neighbours settled a fight over 38 ficus trees with a $78,500 payment and 19 trees removed; years later, roots invaded again, and a 2026 appeals court upheld an order to remove the remaining 19 trees

• A long legal fight between two California neighbours over invasive tree roots has ended in state court, with a judge ordering the complete removal of a boundary hedge after years of failed attempts to reach a solution.
• The Fourth District Court of Appeal, Division One, upheld a lower court ruling that ordered the property owner to remove the remaining 19 ficus trees along the shared property line.
• The roots had continued to spread despite an earlier out-of-court settlement.