A somewhat related back-and-forth legal letter between two poo related companies: https://abovethelaw.com/uploads/2020/04/Poop.pdf

This is a great PR move.

I’m sure this letter made the rounds; clowns on this big brand; and gets free exposure for the underdog. Worth the $500 to write the letter.

Will consider similar tactics in the future.

The Bar actually has the neighbor "scary letter" thing called out in their rules that you cannot file a complaint with them if you get one of those.

Which tells you what a crappy (hehe) hustle these letters must be.

Recently had a client stiff us for $75k. His lawyer then sent us a letter trying to get us to agree to just keeping the $25k deposit or he would sue us for $1MM. he also made fun of my outdated linked in profile and accused me of fraud by restating everything in my CV as "alleged".

I spoke with a few lawyers and they said the appropriate response to that embarrassing letter is to throw it away and not think of it again.

They never sued for $1MM and technically I have something like 6 years to sue him for breech and the $75k if I want to... Likely won't as the legal bill will be $100k.

How did that story end?

Not OP but almost certainly just fine (for the sender).

From personal experience 99% of what attorneys are paid to do is send threatening letters that have nothing to back them up.

Not poster either.

I know a bit about tree law in the USA. Neighbors have a right to trim (they must do it, unless the tree is obviously diseased.)any part of a tree that comes over their property line. It's a bit more nuanced, but that's basically the law. (I belive the Tree Cutting outfit is suspose to cut the limbs with care. I mean they are not suspose to introduce pathogens from their tools onto your trees. I have Oak trees and worry about their health. I've noticed PG&E is hiring pretty much any out fit to trim trees. They are seemingly untrained. They don't know what that it's not the low voltage lines that are causing the fires? Years ago I noticed they don't seem to sanitize their chain saws. I once, before the fires, asked PG&E to spray a bit of bleach on their tooling through an email. The following day, there was a side show of sanitizer being sprayed everywhere, and they filmed it. I had no inclination of formally complaining. I just thought a quick clean might kill any pathogens. We have a problem in northern CA with Oak trees dying.

Oh yea, just because a healthy tree falls from your property and damages your neighbors property; it doesn't necessarily mean you are liable to repair their property. It's more complicated. If a lawyer reads this could you educate me?

I ended up just paying my neighbor, who's a lawyer, because a tree healthy tree fell on her property. The tree's trunk truck was 1/2 on the property line. I wasen't feeling good, and didn't want or could afford a fight with a miserable house bound attorney. From my understanding, I probally didn't need to pay anything. (I don't think she had a conversation with anyone without mentioned she passed the bar.)

Ya, but IMO, being a good neighbor is walking over and knocking on the door and saying Hi, My name is ____ and I am your neighbor, how are you today. Good to meet you. blah blah. Hey listen, that tree limb, can we work that out sir ? I can pay someone or do it myself or you can what are you comfortable with yadda yadda.

Resorting to lawyers deserves a shit stain unless the above does not work first.

I never resorted to lawyers. She is the the lawyer (She got her license years ago) whom told me she was going to sue. I threw in PG&E because it was related to trees. I don't have the money to consult lawyers. I can barely pay my property taxes.

Ya, totally right, those "try to scare you" lawyer letters from the neighbor who has their lawyer on speed dial are generally bullshit.

In this case of course nothing happened. But my friend said his neighbor just gave him a dirty look from then on but that would have happened anyway.

If someone can sue you they probably will, If they don't have a case their lawyer will send you a stupid letter.

> If someone can sue you they probably will

Not really. People will normally try to resolve things without going to court unless there is a time sensitive issue that they need emergency relief like a temporary restraining order to secure, or they just want to make a point more than get compensation, because resolution without court is cheaper (meaning they get to keep more of the recovery), quicker, and—where an ongoing relationship is involved—less likely to burn bridges.

People who can sue you, and would have you dead to rights, will often bend over backwards to avoid it as long as possible without losing the option if there is a plausible chance at resolution without going to court.

disagree this "scary lawyer letter" scam has nothing to do with the law, it has to do with a neighbor who is a cry baby who has no case and a lawyer who makes a lot of money off a little old lady who has him on speed dial.

It's a legal lawyer scam. He get's probably $1K for sending a stupid letter, little old lady gets to pay her lawyer to do her bidding instead of walking over and simply saying hey, you tree limb is over my property or whatever.

why is it oh so very wrong to hire a proxy, if say you have an anxiety or something?

Do you expect old frail ladies to have shouting matches with younger men twice their size?

I personally find my lawyer does way better at negotiations than myself, that's what I use him for.

Probably like most shitty litigation