Neighbour's tree question

[Hoss]

Funniest post I've read in awhile. One would almost suspect you're serious. Why would you live here if you only think trees belong in parks? Go live in OKC for heaven's sake.

Yeah, then he could call it '"O" towne'...LOL.

[nathanm]

the only way a neighbor is directly liable for your roof damage from their tree is if the entire tree blows over onto your house because then the damage came from their property since a limb falling straight down = your problem because you could have pruned it...

Even in that case, unless the tree was diseased or otherwise damaged in a way that should have been apparent to its owner, when the wind blows it over it's an act of God and the tree's owner has no liability for the damage it caused.

In Louisiana if your neighbor's tree blows over onto your land and wasn't diseased or otherwise defective, they aren't responsible for the damage, but they do have to remove the tree. Does Oklahoma have a similar law requiring the owner of the tree remove it?

If it's a boundary tree, it would get more interesting, since both you and the neighbor own the tree.

[Conan71]

All the more reason to become better friends with your neighbors.  Friends usually are able to solve conflicts a lot easier than people who hardly know each other. Married people excepted 

[sauerkraut]

I stand firm, big trees do not belong next to a home where people live. They can crush a home and the people inside it without warning, or do thousands of dollars in damage to the home and/or foundation.

[Hoss]

I stand firm, big trees do not belong next to a home where people live. They can crush a home and the people inside it without warning, or do thousands of dollars in damage to the home and/or foundation.

That's why your home will never sell for the same as the same home with trees.  Trees ADD value to the home as long as they are maintained properly.

They also provide shade, reducing cooling bills in the summer.

You just amaze me.  Sheesh.

[HoneySuckle]

I agree with Sauerkraut.  Trees do NOT belong within a couple feet of the home.  One can have trees (like the other neighbours) that are not up against the house

Anyway, I went ahead and put a note for the lady that sounded non-threatening telling her about the trees branch banging and scraping against our roof.  I also added that we had a company come out (Wrights), to prune the tree in our backyard and that they were affordable, and reliable.  I told her too that we would share the cost, or we could get the part that is offending pruned ourselves. 

I heard nothing since this post, but come Saturday, I heard some shouting and screaming and a thud against the house.  The foolish woman and her male relatives were on chairs (kid you not!), with a pruning gadget that was long and the were attempting to trim some of the smaller branches away.  They even took the branch that was more on her side that has been hanging on there since the big ice storm a few years ago   However, they could NOT reach the major offender and I heard her saying she will call someone about it.  I went over while they were trying to cut and told them that they could enter my backyard if they needed, and that I wanted to know if it was okay to remove the tree roots that's smack up against my patio and walkway.  She was a little peeved and wondered if it might affect her beloved tree in someway   Anyway, her relative assured her that these were surface roots and it's okay. Sheesh.  She added at that time that she wanted to prune said tree because she was not sure I would leave it the way she wants!!!  

[Hoss]

I agree with Sauerkraut.  Trees do NOT belong within a couple feet of the home.  One can have trees (like the other neighbours) that are not up against the house

Anyway, I went ahead and put a note for the lady that sounded non-threatening telling her about the trees branch banging and scraping against our roof.  I also added that we had a company come out (Wrights), to prune the tree in our backyard and that they were affordable, and reliable.  I told her too that we would share the cost, or we could get the part that is offending pruned ourselves.  

I heard nothing since this post, but come Saturday, I heard some shouting and screaming and a thud against the house.  The foolish woman and her male relatives were on chairs (kid you not!), with a pruning gadget that was long and the were attempting to trim some of the smaller branches away.  They even took the branch that was more on her side that has been hanging on there since the big ice storm a few years ago  However, they could NOT reach the major offender and I heard her saying she will call someone about it.  I went over while they were trying to cut and told them that they could enter my backyard if they needed, and that I wanted to know if it was okay to remove the tree roots that's smack up against my patio and walkway.  She was a little peeved and wondered if it might affect her beloved tree in someway  Anyway, her relative assured her that these were surface roots and it's okay. Sheesh.  She added at that time that she wanted to prune said tree because she was not sure I would leave it the way she wants!!!  

Read the non-res's post again:

This is a big topic for me, I don't believe trees should be growing next to a house. Trees belong in parks and in a forest not next to where people live. Trees do alot of damage to homes, they fall over in ice storms, wind storms, attract lightning, tornados, disease, trees attract termites, and trees can do alot of house foundation damage/pipe damage. I believe if a neighbors tree is growing over your yard you have the right to cut off the branchs that are over your yard. I seen some homes mostly in older areas of Tulsa with huge trees growing right next to the house- Yale & Harvard seem to have alot of huge trees around.

I take that as saying you shouldn't have trees in your yard.  Period.

That's crap.  While I agree they should not be growing from root right next to your house, most sane people live in homes where the roots are a ways from the house.  Or, heaven forbid, they plant their own trees.

Next trees I have will have a smaller horizontal profile.  Ash trees are a pain.  But they sure were nice in the summer.

[HoneySuckle]

Read the non-res's post again:

I take that as saying you shouldn't have trees in your yard.  Period.

That's crap.  While I agree they should not be growing from root right next to your house, most sane people live in homes where the roots are a ways from the house.  Or, heaven forbid, they plant their own trees.

Next trees I have will have a smaller horizontal profile.  Ash trees are a pain.  But they sure were nice in the summer.

But I never said trees should be growing in forests.  Why did you quote that with my post?

[Hoss]

But I never said trees should be growing in forests.  Why did you quote that with my post?

Because it appeared to me that you were agreeing with him in principle that homes should not have trees.  Period.

That's how his disjointed logic reads to me.

I just wanted to make sure you had an out if others read it that way.

And yes, trees should be growing in forests.  Trees can also grow in urban areas.

I sure don't want Tulsa looking like OKC...

[HoneySuckle]

Because it appeared to me that you were agreeing with him in principle that homes should not have trees.  Period.

That's how his disjointed logic reads to me.

I just wanted to make sure you had an out if others read it that way.

And yes, trees should be growing in forests.  Trees can also grow in urban areas.

I sure don't want Tulsa looking like OKC...

Heck I don't want to ever have Tulsa looking like OKC either!!  Spent quite a bit of time going back and forth to OKC last year, and we sure are a much prettier city than they are


No, I did not agree that trees should be in forests, but agree that they should not be as close as the one that is next to me.  We both have tiny front yards that are almost in a V shape, and her five trees take up that area   These are the trees you see growing everywhere, nothing fancy.  They drop their seeds or whatever and a bunch of others pop up.  Can't remember what she said they were.  They litterally grow in a clump like setting.  The guy who used to live on the other side of me was a landscape contractor and he said the first thing he learned was to never plant a tree so close that you open your window and it's right smack in your face.

[Hoss]

Heck I don't want to ever have Tulsa looking like OKC either!!  Spent quite a bit of time going back and forth to OKC last year, and we sure are a much prettier city than they are


No, I did not agree that trees should be in forests, but agree that they should not be as close as the one that is next to me.  We both have tiny front yards that are almost in a V shape, and her five trees take up that area   These are the trees you see growing everywhere, nothing fancy.  They drop their seeds or whatever and a bunch of others pop up.  Can't remember what she said they were.  They litterally grow in a clump like setting.  The guy who used to live on the other side of me was a landscape contractor and he said the first thing he learned was to never plant a tree so close that you open your window and it's right smack in your face.

Both the ash trees I had were well away (about 20 feet) from the house.  That being said, ash trees grow quite large, and their root system can be extensive.  It was bad enough that it started tearing up my driveway.  They're not the heartiest of trees for this part of the country, so I had major feeder limbs that died, so I had both removed, simply from having to worry about AEP not coming out to trim the tree back from their right of way.

While I do miss the shade, I don't miss worrying whether or not a tree limb will knock my ceiling down.  I'd like to plant some smaller trees, something that has more of a vertical profile than horizontal.

[HoneySuckle]

Both the ash trees I had were well away (about 20 feet) from the house.  That being said, ash trees grow quite large, and their root system can be extensive.  It was bad enough that it started tearing up my driveway.  They're not the heartiest of trees for this part of the country, so I had major feeder limbs that died, so I had both removed, simply from having to worry about AEP not coming out to trim the tree back from their right of way.

While I do miss the shade, I don't miss worrying whether or not a tree limb will knock my ceiling down.  I'd like to plant some smaller trees, something that has more of a vertical profile than horizontal.

I have an Ash in the backyard.  We lost two big branches and lots of little ones during the biggish storm we had a few weeks ago.  I was shocked because this was the darn tree I paid to have pruned!    I was walking at La Fortune park a couple days ago and there are some smaller, wider trees that I just love there.  Those are the kinds I would like to plant in the backyard.  Looks nice enough to sit under.

What's the best way to deal with the roots I was talking about?  Do I dig and cut out?  Are they going to come back?  We will have to fill in with more soil, and I am hoping to plant some shade loving things there. 

Are we okay now about trees?

[sauerkraut]

Trees do tons of damage to homes, people tend to plant them  too close to the house and then they just let 'em grow & forget about 'em. The older parts of Tulsa have some massive trees just a few feet from the house- WoW, I would not want want to live there- a guy  on my street told me some of those big trees cost about $8,000 to cut down. BTW, did ya see the tree storm damage on the RiverSide jogging trail between 61st and 71st? Huge trees were knocked over root ball & all, some of those rootballs were over 6' tall. Other trees were sheared off 30' above the ground. What a mess. The trail was not damaged and the city cleared the trail of the trees that fell across it. Had one of those trees hit a house it would of totaled it.

[sauerkraut]

I have nothing against trees they just don't belong next to a home, trees also do alot of damage to the powerlines, many of the powerfailures during storms, ice, and wind storms are the result of tree branchs or trees falling on the power lines. Trees really should be in parks & forests only- they are not good for residental streets. Ever get tree roots in your home drainage pipe system? Goodby $4000.00, tree roots are attracted to moisture in the drainage pipes they grow into the pipes and block & crack them. A simple chain saw a few years earlyer could of saved the home owner thousands of dollars. Oh, trees also attract ants & termites, it does not take much for a yard tree termites to get into your home.

[sauerkraut]

Because it appeared to me that you were agreeing with him in principle that homes should not have trees.  Period.

That's how his disjointed logic reads to me.

I just wanted to make sure you had an out if others read it that way.

And yes, trees should be growing in forests.  Trees can also grow in urban areas.

I sure don't want Tulsa looking like OKC...

Nothing wrong with OKC, I think it's a fine city- Anyoo, The problem is people plant trees close to a house (useually when the home is new) and then they don't take care of them or trim them back now & then  they just let the tree grow & grow, and then they move and the next home owner is stuck with a huge tree and big branchs hanging over his roof. People cut their grass on a reg. basis, they need to also trim back their trees on a regular basis too... Trees can grow back cut  branchs at a fast rate. If people would trim their trees then it would not be such a problem. Drive around any neighborhood and you'll see many big trees next to a house. After every storm  the biggest mess is always caused by- all together now gang- "Trees taking a tumble or falling branchs"... That's not just in Tulsa but every city. Ice storms bring down trees all over a city and emergency vehicles can't get thru, cars are crushed or damaged, homes ruined, and power lines brought down by trees.