Chris Pine Set To Put Trespass Lawsuit Behind Him After More Than A Year Of Back-And-Forth

Chris Pine is nearly free from the legal drama with his neighbor as the pair finally settle.

The "Poolman" director recently resolved his differences with his former feud partner Helen Yu. The latter sued him in 2023 for trespassing onto her property after he planted numerous Ficus Benjamina trees.

The trees, known to have invasive root systems, caused severe damage to his neighbor's property. Not only did Helen Yu sue Chris Pine, but she also desperately tried to get him deposed and to attend their trial in person.

According to new reports, Pine and Yu announced their legal battle before their scheduled hearing on November 18. They told the judge presiding over the case they had "resolved this matter in principle."

However, the duo must finalize and present a settlement agreement to the court before officially closing their case. The outcome is excellent news for Pine, who has been butting heads with Yu for over a year since she filed her trespass lawsuit.

The upset neighbor did not hide her displeasure against Pine over his invasive trees in her suit. Part of her argument, per In Touch, read:

"Through action or inaction, [Chris has] unreasonably, negligently, or intentionally caused or allowed the root systems of [his trees] which were planted on the boundary line between the properties and encroach upon [Helen's home]."

Yu's Los Angeles home shares a boundary with Pine's three-bedroom, three-bathroom, 2,205-square-foot home. Given the closeness between their properties, the actor's Ficus Benjamina trees allegedly caused:

"Substantial and ongoing damage to [Helen's home], including cracking of walls and substantial damages to the plumbing and pipes, pool, pool deck, and other areas in or around [Helen's home]."

Yu argued that the trees' encroachment on her home created an unsafe environment and interfered with her use of the property. Therefore, she sued Pine for an unspecified amount in damages, but he clapped back with his own lawsuit.

Pine denied all allegations of wrongdoing, claiming the real trespasser was Yu. He argued that she built a fence on his side of the property and demanded she take it down. However, his neighbor claimed she would suffer more hardships than him if she removed the fence.

The drama between Yu and Pine intensified weeks before their November 18 hearing, per The Blast. The actor's neighbor implored the court to order him and his co-defendant, Bradley Lyon, to appear physically at the trial.

Yu's notice of appearance filing came weeks after she emerged victorious in her efforts to get Pine deposed. A Los Angeles Superior Court judge ruled in her favor and ordered the Hollywood veteran to sit for a deposition within 20 days.

Pine was given until October 25 and could appear virtually if he satisfied the judge's request. He was allowed to appear via Zoom as long as he provided all the documents Yu requested — a fight she has been dragging since January 2023.

In her earlier arguments, Yu claimed she had been trying to get Pine deposed since 2023, but he avoided her summons four times. In July, her request was rejected because of his schedule, as the actor was filming a movie and would be on vacation until October.

Based on the information provided, Yu set another deposition date for October. However, Pine had more reasons to avoid it, forcing his neighbor to ask the court for help. Part of her plea read:

"Either [Chris] does not want to be deposed, or his counsel is attempting to get around the trial court's ruling."

Yu also slammed Pine for avoiding the deposition, stressing his attitude was "unacceptable." On the other hand, the TV personality's attorney claimed he had no reason to avoid being deposed, but they had failed to work the dates out with his angry neighbor.

Yu and Pine's issues took a different turn in September when the neighbor accused him of using schemes to avoid their trial. She refused to accept his request for a continuance, noting he had been granted multiple hearing postponements since 2023.

"Defendants' application to continue the trial date is not well taken and should be denied. It's just a ploy to avoid trial and to avoid addressing the problem that necessitated the filing of this case," she argued.

Yu explained their case was initially meant to start in December 2023, but it was continued to April 2024 at Pine's request. The trial was postponed again to August 5, 2024, before the third postponement to November 18, 2024.

Will Chris Pine and his neighbor be able to finalize their settlement agreement without further problems?