Russian property owners can legally collect fruit from neighbouring trees if branches cross onto their land, according to Moscow legal expert Alexander Haminsky.
Haminsky, who serves as the head of the Centre for Law and Order in Moscow and the Moscow Region, outlined the legal rights of land owners during an interview with Russian news network RT.
He explained that fruit originally belongs to the owner of the plot where the tree or shrub was planted. However, when branches extend beyond a property fence onto a neighbouring plot or onto shared public land, neighbouring residents have the right to gather the produce.
Haminsky clarified that neighbours are allowed to harvest fruit directly from overhanging branches as well as collect any fruit that has fallen onto the ground within their boundary line.
Property damage risks and legal penalties
While gathering fruit from neighbouring trees is permitted, land owners must exercise caution during the harvest. Haminsky warned that anyone who damages the branches of a neighbour's tree while picking fruit risks administrative liability for the intentional destruction of property.
In Russian legal practice, administrative liability covers minor infractions against property rights or public order, which can result in financial fines or administrative warnings from municipal authorities.
Boundary disputes over fruit trees and garden crops are common among Russian property owners, particularly during late summer and autumn harvest periods. Millions of families across Russia maintain country homes and garden plots, where fruit trees and berry bushes are frequently planted near fence lines.
Land maintenance obligations for property owners
The legal guidance on harvesting neighbouring fruit comes alongside strict land enforcement rules for rural property owners across the nation.
Russian homeowners were previously warned that they could face the risk of losing their dacha property entirely if they fail to remove giant hogweed from their land. Giant hogweed is a toxic, fast spreading weed that poses severe health and environmental risks across Russian regions, prompting authorities to enforce land clearing mandates.
