Letting neighbors have a say

[Shoo]

Here's our situation.  We live in a newer neighborhood with very few large trees.  Our backyard happens to contain two 100' cedars that were not cut down when the neighborhood was developed.  These trees provide a great deal of shade for not only us, but for many of our neighbors as well.

When we first moved here, a year ago, we met our neighbor a few houses down and one of the first things she asked me was if we were going to cut down the trees.  She hoped we wouldn't.  At the time, I said, of course we weren't.  We liked the trees.  End of discussion.

Now, a year later, there are new houses all around us that weren't here a year ago.  Very close, full of families with children.  And we've been enduring one severe windstorm after another.  We're in the middle of another one right now.

These trees are making us sick with worry.  We've had two arborists come to our house to look at them for us.  Each of them said the trees looked healthy, but that because of all the recent construction, their root systems could be affected by changes in ground water chemicals and other things.  Things that can take a few years to manifest.  Also, these are apparently only two trees left standing in what was once a forest of trees.  We were told that when trees are cut down all around, the remaining trees' root systems are left weakened.

We are seriously considering having the trees removed.  This would be a considerable expense for us, and a bit heartbreaking as well, but we feel like these trees are a castastrophe waiting to happen.

Should we inform our neighbors of our intentions and get their input?  Or should we just do what we feel we need to and just let them deal with it?  Everyone we talk to in the neighborhood loves our trees.  How do we tell them they're coming down?  Or should we?

[fklwmn]

Honestly? they are your trees, and your liability. And even if you weren't worried they would fall, but were just tired of them, it would still be your perogative to remove them. Have them removed. If the subject omes up in general conversation, mention it to your neighbors, detailing the same concerns you have listed in your post here, if appropriate.  But I wouldn't ask permission, opinions, or even give a warning. That will just open things up for people to criticize your decision. I'm sure you'll get enough of that anyway, you don't want to make people think that you WANT to hear it.

[BatCity]

My feeling on this is, if the trees are healthy, let them stay.  It sounds as if the arborists have both concluded that the trees are fine right now, but it may be a good idea to have them check back once a year or so.  Spend the money to have anything that looks like it may damage your house trimmed back.

In the meantime, go ahead and plant a couple more trees if you have room for them.  That way you have a head start if they do need to be taken down.

I am in sort of the same boat...newer neighborhood, not many trees, and a very hot climate on top of that.  Large trees are a precious resource that can usually be balanced with the risk they pose.

Lara

[veryfluffy]

When we moved into our house, there was what seemed to be a lovely old apple tree at the end of our long garden. We then got planning permission to put up our cattery building. If the tree had been healthy and thriving, we would have tried to keep it, but it turned out to be rotten at the core with ivy strangling it from inside. So we cut it down. The backyard neighbour (who had strongly objected to us putting up the cattery) marched around the block and rang my doorbell, and ranted that I had promised to leave the tree. Well, we had said we intended to, but it certainly wasn't a promise. And I explained it was rotten anyway.

"We liked that tree, it always had birds in it, nice view from our upstairs windows, blah di blah..."

"Well, maybe you should plant your own tree in your own garden."

One thing I had done was leave an old dry-stone wall on our boundary, but had them sign a bit of paper saying that they accepted responsibility for it, and would sue me if it fell over.

On the other hand, I think that cutting down what are perfectly healthy trees is trying to bubblewrap the world. You've paid experts to look at them -- if anything happens now, presumably your household insurance would cover any damage.

[sweedetobee]

Your yard, your tree.
I would not ask the neighbors their opinions and I would not inform them the trees would be coming down. You would just be inviting them to feel like their opinion mattered, which it doesn't. 

I did like what another poster said though - professionals said the tress are currently healthy so why don't you leave them and have the professionals check back in 6 months or a year? In the meantime plant another tree so you at least have a nice, healthy young one growing.

[wetblanket]

Some jurisdictions have bylaws about removing trees, so you may want to check that out.

I think it would be a nice gesture to let the neighbours know you will cut down the trees (if that's what you decide to do) and why.  I can see how it would be shocking and sad to suddenly find some pretty trees have been cut down, so a heads-up might soften the blow and keep relations friendly.

[Shoo]

On the other hand, I think that cutting down what are perfectly healthy trees is trying to bubblewrap the world. You've paid experts to look at them -- if anything happens now, presumably your household insurance would cover any damage.

I doubt we could buy enough insurance to cover our liability if the trees fall on a house and someone is killed.  We've looked into buying umbrella coverage, but the maximum we've found that we could afford is $1 million coverage.  Property damage, personal injury, etc. and, well, $1 million wouldn't really cover it.  And if more than one person were hurt (or killed), we'd be ruined.  Still, we'll probably get it just to give us *some* protection.

I hate to cut down the trees too, if they're healthy.  But the arborists told us that even healthy trees fall down.  If the wind is strong enough and the ground is saturated enough ... it's scary.

Being alarmists isn't really in our nature, and when the weather is fine, it's the furthest thing from our minds.  But on days like today, I'm standing at the window watching the trees sway and praying they stay upright.

[Lisbeth]

I wouldn't talk to the neighbors about the trees, but I'd periodically have the trees checked out to make sure they are healthy and not in danger of falling down on anyone else's property.

Obviously, if they are, I'd cut them down.

[ZipTheWonder]

I think you should do what you think is best for your property values and the pleasure you want your home to provide to you. 

Does the municipality have any say in this? 

[Shoo]

I think you should do what you think is best for your property values and the pleasure you want your home to provide to you. 

Does the municipality have any say in this? 

I doubt cutting the trees down would help our property value.  The trees are an asset to the property, I think.  But the worry they cause us is definitely affecting our enjoyment of our property.

I don't know what the regulations are.  I tried to find something on our county's website, but nothing pertaining to individual homeowners was there.  In this case, I'd probably depend on the expertise of the tree-cutting service to tell us what, if any, permit are required, etc.

[Shoo]

My feeling on this is, if the trees are healthy, let them stay.  It sounds as if the arborists have both concluded that the trees are fine right now, but it may be a good idea to have them check back once a year or so.  Spend the money to have anything that looks like it may damage your house trimmed back.

I just wanted to respond to this real quick and say that, short of chopping off the top 50' of the trees (effectively killing them), there's no way they can fall without landing directly on someone's house.  These are really TALL trees.  I think one of them may be over 100'.  It's hard to estimate.

[lolane]

They are on your property and you are responsible for them. If you think you need to have them removed for safety reasons, your own piece of mind, or just because you want to, then go ahead. I would not inform the neighbors before you do it, but if someone asks about it afterwards I would explain your reasons why *if* you want to.

While I am not a big fan of cutting down healthy trees, I understand that in this litigious world it is a neccessity to take proactive steps to protect oneself. If it will make you feel better, perhaps you can plant two new trees either on your property or somewhere else.

[hollasa]

Well, I'd definitely try to get some neighbors on my side. It isn't a matter of property values, or that you don't like trees - you're worried that these trees are going to take our a neighbor's house, and maybe their children!

I'd probably talk to the neighbors on either side, pass on some concerns about the storms, and mention how worried you are about the trees hitting someone. I would guess that some of your neighbors are also concerned about the trees.

This way, when Neighbor A says to Neighbor B - can you believe those Shoos, cutting down perfectly good trees - Neighbor B can say that you were very concerned, and they were concerned, and wasn't it nice of the Shoos to pay to have them cut down, rather than waiting until they took someone's house and family out?

BTW, we recently took down about 5 trees on our property due to the pine beetle infestation (our area is just full of dying trees). DH knows someone with a portable mill, so he borrowed it and set it up in the backyard - now we have quite a lot of milled pine, and some birch (it was either take out the birch or the playhouse, drat). Might be something to consider?

[ImperfctMe]

Is there anyway to put support struts in or guide wires or something? Or would that just be one more airborne projectile in a windstorm?

As someone who has lived through some really freak storms in 2006 that knocked over all sorts of trees, healthy and not healthy, I have to say I'm appreciative of my neighbors who took care of their trees ahead of time. As opposed to the ones who ignored the massive rot, etc. and waited for the tree to crash through power lines, smash parked cars and block the road for a day or two. If the trees are healthy for now, leave them be, but have them checked yearly. You might want to tell your neighbors exactly what you said to us, esp. the ones whose houses are in close proximity to the trees.

[Shoo]

I just snapped this photo of the trees for you all to see.  To give you some perspective, the green arborvitae lining the fence to the right are 11' tall.  The diameter of the trunk of the tree on the right is about 48".  These are massively big trees.  You can see how close the house behind us is.  There are actually 9 houses, including ours, within striking distance of the tallest tree.  We've got people on all sides of us, except for a small protected greenspace directly behind us.   I guess we can always hope the trees fall in that direction.  It would be our only hope.