Do I take the tree down completely?

[korygrandy]

Well, it is a very tall tree, in fact so tall I'm not sure I could estimate the height. There are many more trees like this within my post-war neighborhood (60's concrete and 2x6's).

My next door neighbor has expressed his discontent with the size and is concerned of the day it falls down. I guess I am not thinking along those lines, as everyone in this neighborhood should be concerned then.

I don't know if he is concerned about the lean, or the height but I may ask the next time I see him.

If I take this sucker down, there are power-lines strung throughout the neighborhood that surely would be interrupted. Not to mention it would probably cost a fortune and I hate to cut down a perfectly good tree.

I realized after I uploaded the vid its not the greatest quality so I will snap some pics tomorrow am.

My synopsis and I am by no means an expert... The tree on the left looks healthy, 90% of it's branches are alive. I figure I cut down the 1 or 2 thinner branches up higher and the tree will thrive furthermore. As for the tree to the right, it too looks healthy to me with a few more branches that are dead, but nothing large that when it fell would do any damage.

To me, and as I saw this in the past year with the many trees in my neighborhood, the branches fall, people deal with them *chain saws and hired help, and they move on. Should I really cut this awesome tree down ahead of its due-date?

The reason I'm posting this is yes the tree just looks mamouth, but should I let it scare me. The biggest dead branch I was concerned with just dropped naturally in my yard today, so I snapped up the twigs and I probably need to make a couple cuts to get it in my bonfire pit. Nothing major in my opinion. I have seen trucks in the neighborhood and heard them grinding up branches, but I haven't paid much attention if they were full trees or just general tree maintenance.

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: Do I take the tree down completely?

Tell the neighbor you don't like the color of his house. When he changes to a color you like, tell him you like the tree. As long as you trim dead branches and nothing is falling on his property, he has no complaint. I think the tree looks healthy. See if you have a county farm extension agent or agricultural agent and ask then to look at it - usually free but it still is a second opinion.

 

[duke33]

Re: Do I take the tree down completely?

leave it. That's what insurance is for. The BIG maybe.

 

[roscoe]

Re: Do I take the tree down completely?

So, what's the tree gonna fall on IF it comes down?
Looks like his house it far enough away to be same. Even if it isn't, you have insurance, right?

Anyway, its your tree, and it looks perfectly fine to me.
Trees get dead branches, they fall, the tree lives on.

If the neighbor wants it down, tell him he can pay you for the value of the tree, and then he can pay a tree service to cut the tree, grind the stump, and re-sod your lawn.

 

[Big Bubba]

Re: Do I take the tree down completely?

KoryGrandy,
I agree with Roscoe on this one. If the neighbor doesn't like it he can pay to have the tree cutt and removed from your property. That is if you want to get rid of it and if you don't want to get rid of the tree he cannot really say anything about it since it is on your yard and not on his yard in any way.

 

[korygrandy]

Re: Do I take the tree down completely?

Thanks for your replies guys. The tensions are not high yet, and I am a reasonable person. The reasonable solution right now for me is to do nothing as it looks healthy to me.

Bubba - I will definitely look into getting a free look at the tree by whomever I can find that seems to be an expert. Even if it's just another tree trimming service that happens to be in the neighborhood.


I put the black chain-link fence in there and I actually let him know prior. His statement was "Well, if that's what you want to spend your money on." I proceeded to tell him it was more for keeping my dog contained than anything and he said "Well I guess some folks like dogs."

So he's not necesarrily a guy I consider in my areana, but he is my neighbor and I'm still cordial with him. I think I just about gave him a heart attack when he saw me pull out the Round-up. He's not too concerned about my power toys, or my house, or what I'm wearing...but he's pretty critical with my landscaping.

 

[jasoutside]

Re: Do I take the tree down completely?

Will that tree fall down?

Yes it will, guaranteed, I promise.

In your lifetime? Nope. Not unless a tornado comes ripping through there.

That's a great looking tree, I can't think of a single good reason to remove it.

I think the guys have given you some great advice up there ^^^.

 

[lakelover]

Re: Do I take the tree down completely?

Agree, leave it.

It would cost a small fortune to take it out. I have a gigantic willow tree on one side, the trunk is about 5' in diameter, that provides me with great privacy. Quite some time ago, my neighbor was hinting that I should remove it. He is not wtih us any more. That's the only complaint I ever had about my trees. I do have a lot of big ones, I just like trees and like to let them live thieir natural course. Oh yeah, I have insurance too.

It's good to try to get along with neighbors, but you gotta draw the line when you need to.

 

[korygrandy]

Re: Do I take the tree down completely?

This is irony at it's finest. So I get an automated call from the local power co stating they will be doing maintenance in the area around the hanging power lines. Really its a contractor and they were nice enough to include his phone. So I call Chuck and he answers a feel simple questions that deem him knowledgeable and he has a reputation good enough for the power co.

They are trimming anything within 3' - 8' of the 8000 volt "high wire". He knew exactly my house when I mentioned the street as I was immediately concerned with all the trees around this 4 point junction in my yard.

I am mainly concerned about the left-behind debris, but he said it would be tree-climbers and he cannot foresee any stumps for my area.

Now is this a prime opportunity to give the guys some quick extra work while they are up there doing some trimming already or what???

He said he'd be in touch and leave a card on my door so I have a heads up of the week they will be doing the work. We shall see, I might try to make myself available to admire how they tackle this operation.

 

[korygrandy]

Re: Do I take the tree down completely?

Agree, leave it.

It would cost a small fortune to take it out. I have a gigantic willow tree on one side, the trunk is about 5' in diameter, that provides me with great privacy. Quite some time ago, my neighbor was hinting that I should remove it. He is not wtih us any more. That's the only complaint I ever had about my trees. I do have a lot of big ones, I just like trees and like to let them live thieir natural course. Oh yeah, I have insurance too.

It's good to try to get along with neighbors, but you gotta draw the line when you need to.

Yeah I am not sacrificing privacy, that is the reason we bought on this lot.

As for the neighbor....I think him and the other retired guy that like to chat will appreciate the extra knowledge I have surrounding this upcoming operation. I'm sure it's going to cause some excitement lol. Maybe they will change there view of the new young buck on the block when I fill them in on some of the finer details my buddy Chuck relayed

 

[FlaCowboy]

Re: Do I take the tree down completely?

Keep the tree...tell the neighbor the tree was there "Before" he was...and he Needs to Move...!!!

 

[Big Bubba]

Re: Do I take the tree down completely?

FlaCowboy,
I like your thinking. I wholeheartedly agree with you. The way I look at it God put that tree in his yard for a purpose o leave the poor old tree alone and let it live its life to the fullest with kids, dogs, etc playing under it and allow it to keep shade on us in those hot, sweltering days. Tell the neighbor to take a hike and get over it, LOL.

 

[LongLine]

Re: Do I take the tree down completely?

If you just heard it crack then it's going to come down when you least want it to. What kind of tree is it?

Tom B.
(LongLine)

 

[coolbri70]

Re: Do I take the tree down completely?

looks like a healthy tree to me. maybe trim/prune but i wouldnt cut it down unless you dont like it, if its the neighbor you are concerned about, tell him not to look at it, if you do want it gone, i would not drop the whole tree at once in a neighborhood near houses and powerlines, i would climb as high i could get and cut from the top down lowering pieces as i go, i tie a rope to my chainsaw and pull it up after im up there then lower it when im done. before climbing down, be sure to use a harness and strap below where you cut. on second thought seeing as my friend all think im nuts, probably best to hire a pro

 

[jasoutside]

Re: Do I take the tree down completely?

Up in a tree with a gas powered saw should be left to the professionals (with giant insurance/liability policies).

 

[coolbri70]

Re: Do I take the tree down completely?

^^^ good advice , i do it like this but the guy above prolly has more sense tha me

 

[jasoutside]

Re: Do I take the tree down completely?

Ladders in trees while running a saw me!

But, your ladder, your saw, your tree, your house + free country = have at it

 

[fat fanny]

Re: Do I take the tree down completely?

Watch what you do! I had a simlar situation 2 yrs, ago I was prunnin a tree on my devil strip and my niehbor asked if I would cut his down only 20' I told I would not be responsible for any damage if any. Well anyway dropped the tree perfect and when it hit the ground it bounced up and took out his power line leading to his house of course he wasn't home and I called he power company and when they and the fire department showed up he we come to find he purchaced the house 15 yrs, prior without updatedated electrical which is code in my county in Ohio after 1990. the power company gave him temporary power but to be reconnected to the grid correctly he was gonna have to update it low and behold this jerk who has been my niehbor for 15 plus yrs, calls his insurance company who found mine somehow and guess who ended up paying for his $8,000 electrical update ! so be cautious proceeding this niehbor of your sounds to be the same type and maybe even worse. So just for refferance I made his life hell for the last 6 months before he ended up moving. Now he can't sell his house been on the market for almost a year now! KARMA SUCKS ! at least for him! This happened the day I took the picture for my avitar! My dad an experience lumberjack said he never seen anything like that happen in the 50 yrs, of cutting down residential trees down especially after taking every precaution we took prior.

 

[coolbri70]

Re: Do I take the tree down completely?

no i would not fell a tree in a neighborhood that is why i use tackle all braches plus the top all get lowered to the ground by rope and pulley and if it gets windy i stop work, the fun part is when you top it and the rope catches it really gets to swinging up there just gotta go weeee!

 

[salty87]

Re: Do I take the tree down completely?

This is irony at it's finest. So I get an automated call from the local power co stating they will be doing maintenance in the area around the hanging power lines. Really its a contractor and they were nice enough to include his phone. So I call Chuck and he answers a feel simple questions that deem him knowledgeable and he has a reputation good enough for the power co.

They are trimming anything within 3' - 8' of the 8000 volt "high wire". He knew exactly my house when I mentioned the street as I was immediately concerned with all the trees around this 4 point junction in my yard.

I am mainly concerned about the left-behind debris, but he said it would be tree-climbers and he cannot foresee any stumps for my area.

Now is this a prime opportunity to give the guys some quick extra work while they are up there doing some trimming already or what???

He said he'd be in touch and leave a card on my door so I have a heads up of the week they will be doing the work. We shall see, I might try to make myself available to admire how they tackle this operation.

power co would much rather mess with trees near wires than risk people knocking power out and/or possibly getting hurt. the contractor should remove or mulch everything. last time i received a notice, i was given the choice of them hauling it or leaving the mulch for me. that was about 6 mos ago and the crew still hasn't been out. they said it might be a while before they get to it.