Laura Brikmanis, a retiree from Bloomington, Indiana, has been dealing with complaints from neighbors about a large walnut tree outside her home. The tree, over 100 feet tall, has been dropping walnuts on her property, causing noise and damage. Some neighbors have urged her to remove the tree, but Brikmanis found the cost of doing so to be prohibitive due to the tree’s proximity to power and cable lines. In response, she decided to create a sign warning about falling walnuts and offering them for free as a humorous solution to the issue.
While some neighbors have requested the removal of the walnut tree, Brikmanis has chosen to keep it due to the benefits it provides to wildlife and the environment. She believes that the tree, which has likely been standing for a century, outweighs the nuisance of the falling walnuts. In addition to providing shade and habitat for wildlife, the tree also produces walnuts, which can be costly to purchase but conveniently fall into Brikmanis’s lap. Despite the challenges posed by the tree, Brikmanis remains committed to maintaining it as a valuable asset in her neighborhood.
A survey conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Homes.com found that 36 percent of U.S. adults have experienced disputes with neighbors that escalated into arguments, with 25 percent engaging in long-running feuds. While Brikmanis’s neighbors have expressed some displeasure with the walnut tree, the issue has not escalated to a serious conflict. Brikmanis has taken a lighthearted approach to addressing the complaints by creating a sign that humorously warns of falling walnuts and offers them for free, prompting positive feedback from the community.
Although Brikmanis considered removing the walnut tree due to the complaints from neighbors, she ultimately decided to keep it intact. The tree’s size and proximity to various structures made removal too complicated and costly, leading Brikmanis to seek alternative solutions. By creating the sign and offering free walnuts to passersby, Brikmanis has found a creative way to address the issue while maintaining the benefits of the tree for herself and the environment. Despite some initial complaints about the sign itself, the response from the community has been largely positive.
Brikmanis’s decision to keep the walnut tree has received praise for its environmental benefits and commitment to preserving wildlife habitat. While the falling walnuts may be an inconvenience, Brikmanis sees the tree as a valuable asset that outweighs the challenges it presents. By finding a humorous and innovative way to address the issue, she has demonstrated a positive attitude toward dealing with neighborhood disputes and received support from others who appreciate her efforts to maintain a longstanding natural feature in the area. The story of Brikmanis and her walnut tree serves as an example of creative problem-solving and environmental stewardship in a community setting.