Are You Responsible for Raking Your Neighbor’s Leaves in Washington?

Are You Responsible for Raking Up Your Neighbor’s Leaves in Washington?

It's that time of year, and we are one of those households in Kennewick that have no trees on our property. But guess what keeps piling up in our yard?

What Are The Laws About Raking Up Your Neighbor's Leaves In Your Yard?

You guessed it - leaves.

So what do you do? Are you legally responsible for raking up your neighbor's leaves that fall into your lawn during the fall?

I did a little digging and here's what I found

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There was a court case in King County about this very thing and an article from The Seattle Times featured the lawsuit and Judge Arthur Chapman entered a ruling on the case:

Judge Chapman clarifies this matter by reminding us that “the law in Washington makes no provision for such a claim.”

If your neighbor's tree decides to share its leafy bounty with your yard, you’re expected to accept it as yet another gift from Mother Nature herself. Falling leaves are considered natural occurrences—just like rain—and no one can be held liable for them accumulating where gravity takes them.

However, there are exceptions when branches overextend their welcome beyond property lines and cause actual damage or pose hazards. In such cases where branches might threaten structures or power lines due to breakage or interference, homeowners have every right—and indeed the responsibility—to manage these risks by trimming them back at their own cost up to their respective property line.

So it looks like you are on your own when it comes to leaves even if your neighbor's leaves fall into your yard like it does for us in Kennewick - luckily my wife loves her leaf blower

Check out this crazy video neighbor leaf battle on TikTok

@joshthepetty You should never dump a barrel of leaves you already picked up directly into a leafblower. This is just a different angle of the other day #fafo #leafwar #badneighbor #joshthepetty #petty #pettyking #hestartedit #sendit ♬ Send It - Steve Aoki & Will Sparks