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ou planted an avocado pit in a common area, which grew into a lovely tree. Unfortunately, one of your neighbors cut it down without permission. Since the tree was in a common area, it belonged to your community association, not you personally. Unless local ordinances or condo documents state otherwise, landscaping maintenance is typically the association's responsibility.

    Your neighbor may face consequences if the association decides to pursue the matter. They likely violated community rules by modifying a common area without permission and may have also broken local tree protection ordinances, which often require permits for tree removal. This could result in fines for the association, which can be costly.

    The neighbor should have petitioned the board to remove the tree if they had concerns about it. Instead, taking matters into their own hands may lead to a fine from the association and reimbursement for the cost of replacing the tree, as well as any local government fines.