Legal Question in Real Estate Law in North Carolina

And your question is?

If the tree is really on your property, then you may have a claim for compensation for loss of the tree. He was privileged to do whatever he wanted on his property as long as it did not cause harm/damage to your property. What was the tree worth? Have you talked to the person who did the damage? Did you notify him before he began cutting?

The answers to those questions will dictate what you do next. Start by valuing the tree and asking him, in writing, to reimburse you for the loss of the tree. If that does not work, get a local lawyer to advise you of the specifics and make a written demand. Depending on the value of the tree, you may then be able to go to small claims (if the other person is an NC resident and the value of the claim is less than $5000).