trees and the roof too
on 12/29/2013 at 09:46 AM
First thing to do is to make sure no damage was done to the neighbor’s homes and yards by your trees, and to contact your insurance company and get a claim going if there was.
Second thing to do is to get every bit of tree that fell outside your property cleaned up and removed. Homeowner’s insurance may help out here; I don’t know how Brit policies are written.
Third thing ... well, now you’ve got options. I would think that having the arborists remove the branches and twigs from the fallen trees would be smart, and they could slice the trunk and the really heavy branches into 3 to 4 foot chunks and pile them up to age in your yard. You may be able to sell them as firewood come next year? Turning an entire tree into chips is a massive $$$ project.
If the arborists feel that the trees still standing are secure, I wouldn’t bother taking them down.
Burning? Having lived in places where even burning leaves has been illegal since I was a small kid, air pollution and all, burning sounds like a bad idea to me. Besides, wet wood doesn’t burn well at all. And making a fire out of entire tree trunks would be a massive conflagration.
Oh no worry about burning at all cos I refused that option. But they do, do bonfires here and sometimes it gets in your house and when you go outside to see if you can see smoke, there isn’t any. So you’ve no idea just where the fire is. Anyway ... it’s all legal.
Neighbor came over tonight, wasn’t worried about tree across yard but ... wants us to pay for a new trampoline as the tree fell on top of theirs. Insurance? Well, yes we can always check on that but .... then the premiums go up due to a claim made. It’s a total hassle but sure. Wife and I did discuss ins. The neighbor, dentist, barking dog neighbor, says it is not his responsibility to make a claim anyway. Oh, and his wife is so disappointed cos she had planted some kind of small tree or plant of some kind near the hedge and it’s been crushed. Trampolines btw are around £350. That’s about what they paid for theirs. New.
Here in Ohio, USA, you would only be liable for the part of the tree that is on your property. The part over in the neighbors yard is their problem. Act of GOD type of reasoning. Hope everything works out for the best, and Have a safe and happy new year!
If I was still in the UK I would help! tell dentist when his dog stops disturbing the peace you will think about it!
Posted by Chris Edwards
12/29/2013 at 07:32 PM
Chris ... yeah. I really did think about it but what the heck. Wouldn’t get me anywhere. Besides that ... if we ever get into the position where we can sell the property here, we want to be able to avoid ticking the box in the paperwork about having any problems with neighbors. Generally, I manage to get along okay. He isn’t unfriendly at all, but I have to tell you. You would think with his money, which he must have since he paid somewhere in the neighborhood of a half million pounds for the property, then had to demolish the house that stood there, then build the ultra up to date modern monster they have (it’s not a good looking house. Really.) Anyway as I was saying, one would reasonably think if he’s busy and can’t get to it during the growing season when hedges need trimming, that he would hire ppl to come in every couple of months. Or once a month. You should see our street.
There are about 10 houses here all on one side. You can walk down the street and we all have neatly trimmed hedges. Till you come to his. Looks like the Adams family might live there. He doesn’t even trim his side of our mutual hedge in the back, but once a year. Oh yes, they have a couple of boys, young teens, good kids (so far) and not a big problem, except when their soccer balls and tennis balls end up over here, and the occasional golf ball, they don’t come over and pick things up. Big deal. So I toss em back when I find them. But you get the idea. He could have his boys help with their garden stuff. Heck , when I was their age (and younger) I had to help mow the yard with my grandad,and those were not powered. Then he left me to rake things up. It was all just normal. Today I guess that might be child labour and abuse.StephanA, Thanks and a Happy one for you as well. Things have a way of (sometimes) working out. And if not, just have to live with it. Worry at the moment is ... the winds are back and they are bad.
12/29/2013 at 02:05 PM
