The Tree On The Line
Minn. Stat. 561.04 — treble damages for cutting trees without lawful authority
In Minnesota, a person who without lawful authority cuts down, carries off, girdles or otherwise injures a tree, timber or shrub on another's land, or on the street in front of a house or lot, is liable to the owner for treble damages.
Single damages instead. If the trespass was casual or involuntary, or the defendant had probable cause to believe the land was their own, judgment is for single damages only.
Trimming branches that hang over a line, and who owns a tree on the line itself, come from Minnesota court decisions this page does not quote. Whether a particular cutting was without authority, and what it was worth, are questions for a licensed Minnesota attorney.
Sources for this section (1)
- Minn. Stat. 561.04 — Trespass; treble damages
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Minnesota attorney.