Share and Follow
A NEIGHBORHOOD is being plagued by a tree trimmer known as ‘Edward Scissorhands’ who comes during the night and vanishes.
Residents in Fort Worth, Texas, have spoken out about the bizarre figure and their fears that his midnight work could cost them hundreds of dollars.
Jerry Balkenbush awoke to find a pile of tree branches in his front yard and immediately told his wife there had been a storm.
However, she knew differently.
“I was talking to my wife, Emily, and I was like, ‘Hey, we had a storm last night,’ and she was like, ‘Oh, no, that’s Edward Scissorhands,'” Balkenbush told CBS News affiliate DFW in 2022.
“People in the neighborhood were talking about it and it seems like he was just hitting certain streets,” Emily explained.
Surveillance footage from the neighborhood emerged showing the unidentified man cutting down parts of trees at around 3 am.
“He starts trimming the tree and admiring his work and kind of stepping back,” fellow resident Danny Thomann said.
“We really just want him to stop doing this.”
“Sometimes he’ll just take a little bit, but then in other people’s trees, he’ll take massive gobs,” Ashley Thomann added.
While the neighbors are puzzled by the man and his strange nighttime hobby, they are more concerned about how his actions could cost them money.
“If something happens to the tree, everybody is paying hundreds of dollars per tree to replace them,” Ashley explained.
She added that the tree cutting is also a safety issue, “we don’t want someone to get hurt,” Ashley said.
With the neighborhood being part of a Homeowners Association (HOA) residents have strict rules to adhere to relating to the appearance of the properties and streets.
Failure to do so is a violation of HOA rules and will incur fines for homeowners.
The tree-cutting incidents started increasing around October 2022, according to DFW, with around a dozen trees being trimmed on three different streets in just one night.
Police reports were filed by impacted residents but the man’s identity is still unknown.
The Fort Worth Police Department has been contacted for comment.
Common HOA Rules and Violations
HOA neighborhoods have a set of rules that homeowners must abide by if they do not want to be fined. Here are some common issues:
Landscaping
- Overgrown lawns, weeds, rundown exteriors, and tree cutting and removal are all commonly noted in HOA rule books and by-laws.
- One daughter called her HOA “unhinged” after her mother was fined and summoned to a hearing for an overgrown weed.
Trash
- HOA members must pay attention when throwing out large items such as furniture as this can impact the look of the neighborhood and therefore violate HOA rules and incur fines.
- Additionally, some HOAs have strict limits on when trash cans can be taken out and should be taken back in for the exact same reasons as well as concerns about pests.
Parking
- HOAs often limit what type of vehicles can be parked outside of its properties with many banning RVs and commercial vehicles.
- Some even issue fines if vehicles are not parked correctly on driveways.
Holiday Decorations
- Residents of HOA communities have to be diligent when it comes to putting up and taking down festive decorations.
- Many HOA handbooks stipulate when decorations can be put up outside of homes and when they should be taken down.
- One man was fined by his HOA for putting up a Ramadan decoration and accused the board of discrimination.
When residents violate rules, HOAs tend to issue fines to homeowners which can be incurred daily until the issue is resolved.
If fines rack up and homeowners fail to pay them, late fees are often attached and then HOAs can put a lien on the property despite mortgages being paid.
This prevents homeowners from selling their homes and could see the HOA foreclose on the lien and auction off the property.
The U.S. Sun has previously reported on a widow who was threatened by her HOA for cutting down trees after her husband was killed when one crashed into their home.
Allan Lee died in July 2023 in Dumfries, Virginia, when a tree crashed through his home while he was taking a shower.
His wife Rachel noted that the clay soil their house is built on makes it more likely that the surrounding trees will be knocked over in storms.
To protect herself and her children she hired a contractor to remove the rest of the trees in her backyard, without getting permission from her HOA.
As a result, she was inundated with emails from the HOA requesting that she submit the correct forms relating to the changes she made, but she continued to refuse.
It is unclear what fines or consequences the homeowner would face due to her refusal.
