A woman on Sydney's north shore must pay $83,000 after she cut down two of her neighbour's trees for "dropping leaves in my pool".

Yueling Liu is one of two Hunters Hill homeowners who together have been ordered to pay more than $150,000 for illegal tree clearing and lopping, in a move welcomed by the local council as a deterrent to others.

Yueling Liu was ordered to pay $83,000 after pleading guilty to illegally removing trees from her neighbour's property.

Ms Liu pleaded guilty to hiring a contractor to chop down two native cheese trees without appropriate council approval. She was fined $48,000 and ordered to pay council costs of $35,000 by the Land and Environment Court.

Council workers were called to Ms Liu's large property on Barons Crescent on February 3, 2016, and heard chainsaws operating. The officials found two tree stumps close to the border of Ms Liu's property, but on the neighbour's side.