A homeowner posted on Reddit’s r/AmITheJerk community and spoke of their decision to stop a previous owner from harvesting plums from a backyard tree. Below it, commenters are discussing property ownership and how to set boundaries when there are sentimental attachments.
The homeowner explained that they purchased the house last summer and and the property came with a large plum tree in the backyard.
According to the post, the previous owner later contacted them and asked if they could collect plums because the tree had been planted by her late mother and had been part of her family’s yearly tradition for nearly two decades.
The new homeowner initially agreed because of the emotional connection. However, they said the arrangement did not go as expected. “When she came over, she brought her husband, two buckets and a ladder,” the current homeowner wrote. They claimed the couple picked “nearly every ripe plum,” including fruit from branches hanging over the patio.
All that was left were broken twigs and fallen fruit.
The homeowner said they were left with very little fruit from their own tree and later decided not to continue the arrangement. When the previous owner asked what weekend she could come by again, the homeowner told her they planned to keep the harvest this year.
The previous owner argued that the tree had special meaning for her family. She also offered the homeowner jars of homemade jam, but the homeowner said the issue was not about compensation. This time, the homeowner said they didn't want the previous owner to have access to the property.
Many Reddit users sided with the homeowner and argued that ownership of the property included ownership of the tree and its fruit.
One wrote, “If you hear from her again, tell her the truth. You were shocked that they came and greedily picked virtually all the fruit last year. To top it off, they left a mess behind.” Another suggested they could also set boundaries in writing, saying the homeowner should explain that letting them in once did not create an annual agreement. Several commenters noted that since the previous owner had sold the property, sentimental value did not override the new owner's rights.
“Your tree, your fruit,” one Reddit user wrote. Another said that if the tree was so important, the previous owner “shouldn’t have sold it.”
However, some acknowledged how difficult it is to leave behind a home with meaningful memories. One commenter shared that they had previously left behind a fruit orchard and asparagus garden when selling a home but accepted that the property was no longer theirs.
