Originally Posted by meizzwang

Instead of guessing the motive, perhaps having a good heart to heart talk with the neighbor can resolve this before it becomes a real fight. Who knows, maybe they're reasonable and willing to work with you! Maybe they're trying to sell their house or trying to refinance their home and perceive the banana plant as being out of place and making the surrounding homes look less valuable, which can affect their financial situation. Maybe they want to impress some friends or business associates at their home. Who knows, they might have solutions that work for both of you. Approach them with kindness and understanding, if you approach them with anger and frustration, you can expect them to respond the same way.

If they fire back with bully tactics and zero compromise even though you approach them with open hands, then war is justified.