The tension isn’t the money or a five-dollar bill taped to the door. It’s the boundaries. The tree grows on private property, and the shade it casts isn’t a public amenity. The neighbor’s argument is that nature’s gifts should be shared, but sharing doesn’t mean trespassing. The lawn isn’t a parking lot, and the mailbox isn’t a toll booth. The line between generosity and entitlement is thin, but it’s real.




