The Tree On The Line
G.L. c. 242, § 7 — three times the damages for willfully cutting another's trees
In Massachusetts, a person who without license willfully cuts down, carries away, girdles or otherwise destroys trees, timber or wood on another's land is liable to the owner for three times the damages.
Single damages instead. If the defendant had good reason to believe the land was their own, or was otherwise lawfully authorized, the liability is for single damages only.
Trimming branches that hang over a line, and who owns a tree on the line itself, come from Massachusetts court decisions this page does not quote. Whether a particular cutting was without authority, and what it was worth, are questions for a licensed Massachusetts attorney.
Sources for this section (1)
- G.L. c. 242, § 7 — Willful trespass to trees; damages
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Massachusetts attorney.