I have to admit I don't understand why anyone would buy a property that allows another person to do what they want on your own property. Can somebody give me the reason the villages allows this and in fact specifies this?

Yes, but how would he be able to connect to the neighbor's sprinkler system? There's a house wall and a garden wall running all along that strip.

The OP didn't say that he lived in a courtyard villa.

If this truly is on your property, I'd check first, then just take it out and put it on your neighbors property, don't even plant it, just put it on their property. You should check with an attorney, many give you a 30 minute consultation for free. In Washington state if it's on your property you have the legal right to take it down, if it hangs over your property you have the legal right to cut back all branches that hang over your property. Check with an attorney and with the Villages. In the mean time, cut off your water supply, do not hook it back to your neighbors, just disconnect your water supply. You really should find out why your neighbor put the tree on your property and why he hooked it up to your irrigation system. The realtor will have his contact info.

How long have you been watering his tree on your land? All of a sudden because of sale it is an issue?

It allows each courtyard villa owner to have a private, fenced in back yard. The easements are an alternative to "lot line" building or townhouse construction, which can create a different set of issues. And, it allows more houses to be built on less land. In most cases, the easements work out fine, and there is no problem. I think courtyard villas are very popular in The Villages.

The Villages doesn’t allow it, you can’t expect to post a security guard at every house 24/7. It’s the neighbor’s fault.

How about a little civility and not acting like a fifteen year old juvenile. How about a friendly conversation with the neighbor first. Maybe the neighbor didn’t realize he was not on his property. Maybe it was a court yard or patio villa. We don’t know. All as I can say is Florida’s Friendliest Home Town.

I did not know that would make a tree vanish.

Personally, I would not remove the tree without first addressing the issue with the neighbor. The fact that the house is for sale almost guarantees that the issue will be resolved if it is presented to the real estate agency. They don't want to allow anything to disrupt a potential sale or create an issue at the closing.

I agree. It is also possible that the neighbor doesn't know that the sprinkler systems are individually owned. In some communities, the sprinkler systems are owned and operated by the developer.

Cut down the tree

soon to be a rental

Disconnect your irrigation system. It's his tree and should water it with his resources!

If it truly is on your property then you are within your rights to remove the portion that is on your property. Example: You do not need permission to trim plants or tree limbs that are hanging over your property line. As for` the sprinkler issue that is absolutely against the law (this is the same law that does not allow your neighbor to hook up to your electric service). If you had not resolved the issue yourself you could have called law enforcement.