Log in or register
Share on LinkedInShare on LinkedIn

ARTICLE · 27 NOVEMBER 2023

Trees And Neighbors

RHTLaw Asia LLP
Explore more from RHTLaw Asia LLP

It is natural for leaves to fall and for branches to overhang. A neighbor cannot willy-nilly chop off branches that hang onto his property just because he doesn't like it.

SingaporeLitigation, Mediation & Arbitration
Amita Dutt
Amita Dutt

"Trees from one property may stretch over to another, just as trees from the Muzayyin's home might stretch their limbs elsewhere. Boundaries have no meaning to trees which obey only the law of nature."

Justice Choo Han Teck in the High Court case
Shi Ka Yee v Nasrat Lucas Muzayyin and Priscilla Goh Puay Shan [2016] SGHC 138

It is natural for leaves to fall and for branches to overhang. A neighbor cannot willy-nilly chop off branches that hang onto his property just because he doesn't like it.

But where the overhanging branches pose a risk of falling and causing injury and damage, like dead branches would, the neighbor may have a valid claim in nuisance and therefore grounds to have the branches on his side trimmed.

We operate a free-to-view policy, asking only that you register in order to read all of our content. Please login or register to view the rest of this article.

Register for freeORLog in

View source

Related Articles

Legal Intelligence Newsletters: sign up for the latest legal and regulatory news on your chosen topics

Read more about

Related Comparative Guides

See more popular content from

Article

Behind The Curtain: A Step-by-Step Guide To SIAC Arbitration Under The 2025 Rules

The 2025 SIAC Arbitration Rules introduce significant procedural innovations including Streamlined and Expedited Procedures, Preliminary Determination mechanisms, and enhanced Emergency Arbitrator frameworks. Understanding how these rules operate in practice—from initial filing through tribunal constitution, evidence presentation, and final award—is essential for parties navigating SIAC arbitration effectively.
SingaporeLitigation, Mediation & Arbitration
Aceris Law
Aceris Law
Article

Early Dismissal In Arbitration: A Powerful Tool

Where some or all claims at issue clearly lack merit, however, there is a mechanism that allows parties to bring about a swift resolution to such claims (whether in whole or in part) without going through the full arbitral process, sparing them the time, cost, and resources that a complete evidentiary hearing (i.e., the hearing at which evidence is presented and tested through cross-examination) would otherwise demand
SingaporeLitigation, Mediation & Arbitration
Bazul LLC
Bazul LLC