Update 8/1/2019 - I've decided I'd rather have a nice-looking yard than play childish games with the Nettles, lest my yard become a neighborhood eyesore like theirs. Nonetheless, I am not about to be bullied into paying for the Nettles to have their pine tree removed. The Nettles' latest stunt, the results of which were witnessed by a Lexington County Sheriff's Deputy, was for the people who mow the Nettles' yard to cut the side discharge on when mowing under the pine tree in front of the Nettles' house, thereby blowing a long pile of grass onto my yard, not to mention trespassing. On 9/13/2019, the Nettles struck again. This time the guy who mowed their yard blew a mess of pine straw - their yard was loaded with it - onto my yard and trespassed. The Nettles seem determined to have the issues associated with this matter settled in court. Perhaps the Nettles' church has been teaching them how to be good neighbors.
Update 10/23/20 - Shrri Nettles latest stunt is to call the police on me - using 911 to do so - because I yelled at her dog. The Lexington County Sheriff's Department sent two marked vehicles but of course her complaint didn't amount to my being charged with anything. >Update 10/7/2020 - I hired a crew to trim a thicket of Leyland Cypress trees, parts of the trunks of which were extending onto my property because the Nettles had been trimming the trees on their side, causing the tree(s) to lean heavily in the direcrtion of my property.This is why the Nettles, in their complaint, state that the tree they allege was removed was only partially removed. That was the part that extended onto my property. No tree was removed from the Nettles' property. Only the top part of one tree was removed, that being the part that extended onto my property. The Nettles, in their complaint, state that the tree(s) are Cedar, which is mistaken. All the trees, including the tree in quesrtion, are most certainly Leland Cypress, a much less expensive tree than cedar. I have never been accused of stalking anyone, much less has such a charge ever been proven.
My next door neighbors are Mike and Sherry Nettles. Mike is an engineer with International Paper at its Eastover Mill in South Carolina.Two of the Nettles' pine trees are near the border of my property, but located solidily on the Nettles'property, one in their front yard, another in their back yard.

In 2003, I had all of the pine trees in my yard removed. Since the tree guy was already on location and had done considerable work removing my trees, he was willing to remove the humongous pine - about five stories tall - in the Nettles' back yard for $1200, which included grinding the stump. At that time, I was in the midst of being a full-time caregiver for what turned out to be nine years, for my dad, who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's, and I simply did not have the time required to clean up the mess such a large pine tree makes. For the record, my dad died at home at age 92. I consider it an honor and a privilege that I had the opportunity to take care of my dad. The humongeous pine tree was damaging the Nettles' fence, which I initially thought was simply because the tree had increased in size. I realized however, that most of the branches had wound up on "my" side of the tree, which caused the tree to lean heavily in my direction so bsadly in fact, that that was what was causing the severe lean was what was causing the tree to damage the Nettle' fence. The tree made such a big mess in my back yard, I figured it would be well worth $600 to be rid of it, and offered to split the cost with the Nettles, emphasizing to Sherry that the tree was damaging the Nettles' fence.

But alas. My offer was refused amidst Sherry taking a deep breath and declaring, "I just love pine trees. Just smell those pines." A current estimate to remove the tree is $1800, which does not include grinding the stump. It's good that Sherry is so enamored with pine trees because the Nettles' yard is loaded with 'em.

Then there's the other pine tree - 'bout average size - in their front yard that makes yet another mess in mine.

About a month ago, I decided to have both trees (the branches that extend over my yard) trimmed. The crew I hired trimmed the tree in back first. The tree in the Nettles" back yard was leaning so badly (toward my yard) that it sprung upright as soon as a total of eight enormous branches were removed. Over the years, the tree - and the branches that were causing it to lean - had increased in size, and to say the tree posed a safety hazard would be an understatement. The crew had completed their work when Sherry came out and started asking questions. I was shocked to learn - from the crew I hired - that under South Carolina law, if the tree had fallen into my yard, I would have been liable for any damages, injuries, or deaths. I hope that law - awareness of which seems mostly to be among people who work in tree-related industries - had nothing to do with the Nettles' nonchalance about sharing expenses to have the tree removed. Sherry now says she told Mike about my offer, but that Mike doesn't remember.

It cost me $700 just to have some of the branches that extend over my yard removed. The tree still makes a big mess, but at least it's less likely to fall into my yard.

When the crew started to trim the tree in front, Sherry came out and ordered them not to climb their tree. She directed me to "talk to Mike," adding that Mike might (emphasis mine) be willing to cut the tree down. She told the crew that they could "do what they needed to do, but they couldn't climb the tree." She had a cell phone, and seemed to be getting advice from someone. At the time, I assumed I could easily find a tree service to trim the tree using a hydraulic lift (the crew I hired didn't have one), and I was puzzled that Sherry seemed intent on delaying what I thought was inevitable.

That wasn't the first time I had been told to "talk to Mike" about the tree.

Several months ago, I noticed Hawley's Tree Service cutting down a tree across the street, and asked Mr. Hawley if he would trim the branches that extend over my yard. He said "we don't do much trimming," adding that he and the Nettles went to the same church, and said "Mike wants to cut the tree down." Mr. Hawley indicated that he would remove the tree for a bargain price, and told me to "talk to Mike."

Nuthin' like makin' the right friends at church.

It's as though Mike wouldn't be able to cut the tree down if I have the branches on my side trimmed. Actually, the tree was hit by lightning quite a few years back, and the Nettles themselves had it trimmed. If I recall correctly, Mr. Hawley did the job, which left the tree looking ridiculous. Two of the branches that extend over my property are very long, stand out like a sore thumb, dump refuse into my yard, and are way too high for me to reach. Talk about an ugly tree. The thing is misshapen, and scarred from the lightning strike. I wasn't surprised to hear that Mike wanted to get rid of it.

One of the pine trees I had removed in 2003 had branches that extended over the Nettles' yard, and up until the tree was removed, I would have welcomed any attempts to have those branches trimmed. Just for the record, I paid all the costs, and was more than glad to do so to get rid of a pine tree.

So exactly what, pray tell, am I supposed to "talk to Mike" about? The tree is clearly on his property, just as the aforementioned pine was on mine.

Since Sherry ordered the crew I hired not to climb the tree, I started trying to find a tree service to do the job with a hydraulic lift. And that's when things really got interesting. For openers, one of the guys on the crew I hired said he knew someone with a hydraulic lift, but I received no further contact. So I figured I would find someone else.

My next attempt was Top Cut Tree service, which happened to be taking trees down at another property on my street. I bicycled down and talked to one of the workers about trimming the tree, gave him my address, and explained that I didn't have a phone, but could be contacted by e-mail. He said the "boss man" would be by later, so I rode back when the "boss man" was there, and it was my understanding that he would follow me to my property. But lo and behold, when I got to my property and motioned for him to turn in, he kept right on going, and disappeared down the street. I then rode back to ask the worker what happened. He was also under the impression that the "boss man" was planning to follow me to my house. He then used his cell phone to talk to the "boss man," but there were no further efforts to contact me, even though Top Cut was at the property on my street for several days.

My third attempt (fourth if you include Mr. Hawley) was Mike's Tree Service (no relation, as far as I know, to Mike Nettles), who had a hydraulic lift, and happened to be removing trees in the West Columbia area. Mike took my e-mail address, shook hands, and promised to contact me, but lo and behold again, no further word from Mike either.

It was obvious that something strange was going on. So after I found out where Mike Nettles worked, I researched tree services and their relationship with the paper business. Talk about an eye-opener.

Did you ever wonder what tree services do with those logs and chips after they haul them away from a property? I found a website that offers a great overview. Logs are likely sold to Log Yards, chips are likely to go to the paper industry, which converts the chips to pulp. In South Carolina, if a tree service has obtained the necessary certifications, it can sell directly to a MILL, as in INTERNATIONAL PAPER'S EASTOVER MILL, WHERE MIKE NETTLES WORKS. And as the above-linked website points out (scroll down to the section titled Direct to Mill), "mills pay up to three times what a local wood yard pays for the same log."

Okay. I can understand why tree services - especially those large enough to invest in chippers and hydraulic lifts - might take special precautions to avoid offending an upper-echelon employee who works for the largest pulp and paper company in the world. By comparison, the crew I hired didn't even have a chipper, and hauled branches away in a couple of pickups, probably to a nearby dump or landfill. I'm convinced that none of them knew anything at all about International Paper. They had sufficient expertise, and were very careful not to use climbing-spikes or any other equipment which would damage the Nettles' trees.

I've answered - at least to my satisfaction - a number of questions I've had about this situation. As for the rest, I think it's time for International Paper - assuming they're not a willing participant in whatever it is that's going on - to get some straight answers out of Mr. Nettles, not the least of which is exactly what I'm supposed to talk to him about.

Meanwhile, my enthusiasm for cleaning up yard trash from the Nettles' pine tree has waned (See 8/1/2019 update at the top of this post). Hopefully, this post will help spread the word about what happened.

Update 8/29/2018 - Tweeted a link to this post to International Paper.

Update 9/4/2018 - Published a link to this post on Facebook on 8/29, and for about a week now I've been blocked from making standard posts on Facebook. I've had similar "coincidences" before with Facebook.  Paul Craig Roberts' has a fantastic 9/1 article titled "Facebook Is An Intolerant Authoritarian Organization That Suppresses Free Speech".

Update 9/7/2018: Dr. Roberts offers more comments about Facebook.