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Nuisance tree drops limb on truck again, neighbor wants tree gone
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BATON ROUGE - A nuisance tree continues to drop limbs and the woman who lives next door is tired of cleaning up the mess. The city says it's a civil matter between two neighbors, but Genika Ruiz is not convinced.
"We shouldn't be in fear of parking our car in our driveway," Ruiz said.
Yet that's exactly how she feels.
"Every time we come out here, he's trying to clean up after his tree," she said.
Last week, a large limb from a tree next door fell on top of her truck in the driveway. It's the second time a limb has fallen on the truck causing damage. The last time was in 2021. Ruiz says the truck was in the shop for eight months.
Her neighbor's homeowners insurance picked up the tab then, but now it's a different story and Ruiz might have to file her own insurance claim.
"He said he doesn't have homeowner's insurance, so now we're forced to use our own and I don't think it's fair that we have to keep paying deductibles and paying for a claim because of his neglect," Ruiz said.
Ruiz says the house next door to her on Glenwild Drive in Sherwood Forest is vacant and the grass is rarely cut. When she asked her neighbor to take care of the tree, here's what she was told.
"He said the tree is not his because the tree was there before he bought it," Ruiz said.
She's tired of cleaning up the mess and worrying about where to park.
"He refuses to cut down the tree," she said.
For now she's left to foot the bill for something she doesn't think is right.
Monday afternoon, 2 On Your Side spoke with the property owner's family member. He said that he would stop by the house on Tuesday to take a look at the tree and the damage done. After checking in with Ruiz Wednesday, she says that did not happen. Calls made to the property owner were not answered.
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