Philly D’s family feuding with neighbor for allegedly cutting down trees needed for privacy

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YouTuber Philip DeFranco is dealing with a property dispute. His wife, Lindsay, claims a neighbor illegally cut down over 100 trees on their land.

Lindsay explained what happened in a TikTok video that’s been viewed over three million times, jokingly calling it “TreeGate.” The family had recently moved from Los Angeles to Atlanta in the summer of 2024, and they say the trees were essential for their privacy at the new house.

In a recent video, she described how their neighbor, who lives two doors down, shares a backyard space with their family. Last September, the neighbor informed them he was considering expanding his yard by filling in a pond and potentially removing trees on both their properties.

DeFranco alleges more than 100 trees were removed without approval

The YouTuber’s wife explained that they asked for their privacy to be respected and only gave permission to remove a small number of trees, with advance warning before any work began.

Lindsay explained that their neighbor didn’t say anything for a whole year, then suddenly asked if they had permission to start building the pond. She verbally agreed, but never signed anything official.

The family woke up to a shocking sight: all the trees along the back of their property were gone. Over 100 mature trees, which had provided privacy for the popular YouTube family, had reportedly been removed.

When she discovered the trees had been cut down, she immediately emailed her neighbor, asking for an explanation. He told her the city had ordered the removal, but Lindsay insists he didn’t have the right to cut down trees that weren’t his, and that they’d previously agreed he would give her advance warning.

She explained that she emailed him, strongly objecting to his actions and asking why he’d done it. He responded by saying they hadn’t wanted to cut down the trees, but the city required it for the project. She was upset, thinking he didn’t have the authority to make that decision and should have consulted with them first, especially since he’d previously promised to do so. She felt he should have asked for their input before cutting down all the trees.

She recently received confirmation from the HOA that the neighbor’s city permit doesn’t cover any part of the DeFranco property. She’s also currently working with a lawyer on the matter.

“I couldn’t see what was happening on the other side of the thick forest until it was already too late,” Defranco explained.

Defranco hired a land surveyor to clearly mark the property line. The surveyor later reported the extent of the neighbor’s intrusion, stating he’d rarely seen such a significant encroachment. Defranco’s wife then told the neighbor to stay off their property until the boundary was officially confirmed and they reached an agreement.

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2025-11-26 19:49