Legal Question in Real Estate Law in New Hampshire

You have SERIOUS exposure on this one, both civil and criminal. You may be subject to a lawsuit for trespassing onto your neighbors property and for cutting down one of hisor her trees; from the civil side, your neighbor has a right to sue you for 3 to 10 times the cost of replacing the tree. From the Criminal side, you could be facing a class B felony

New Hampshire Statute 227-J:8 Trespass; Civil Penalty. �

I. No person shall negligently cut, fell, destroy, injure, or carry away any tree, timber, log, wood, pole, underwood, or bark which is on the land of another person, or aid in such actions without the permission of that person or the person's agent.

II. In addition to any other civil or criminal penalty allowed by law, any person who violates the provisions in paragraph I shall forfeit to the person injured no less than 3 and not more than 10 times the market value of every such tree, timber, log, lumber, wood, pole, underwood, or bark cut, felled, destroyed, injured, or carried away.

New Hampshire Statute 227-J:8-a Trespass; Criminal Penalty. �

I. No person shall recklessly cut, fell, destroy, injure, or carry away any tree, timber, log, wood, pole, underwood, or bark which is on the land of another person, or aid in such actions without the permission of that person or the person's agent.

II. A person who violates the provisions of paragraph I shall be guilty of a class B felony if the loss is greater than $1,000, or a misdemeanor for any other loss.