Trigger

They asked me to trim this tree that was in the alley because it was scratching the garbage trucks. I complied and trimmed it up a month ago... I had done this before and it was no big deal. Every year or so they'll ask me to do it. They do the same with everyone in the neighborhood. It's on my property and I even had my wall built at this weird angle so I could keep the tree since it's worth alot of money apparently. Can't recall what kind of tree it was...

Anyway, today they just removed it without asking me or telling me or notifying me or whatever. Do I have any recourse? Can I complain? Can I get reimbursed? Can I get them to replace it or maybe fix my wall since it's pointless being askew now? Anyone have experience with this? I'm quite pissed that they took my tree down cuz I loved it... it blocked the neighbors lights and provided shade and obscured my view of the telephone pole.

jfoobar

This would never have happened if you ran Norton AV.




Oops, wrong thread. Sorry.

Trigger

bastard! *shakes fist*

milkman71

Interestingly enough I am inclined to think that you are probably our of luck. I took a law course in college and the professor asked if the city could tear down your house and not reimburse you for it. We all said no. He then asked what if you lived in houses that were side by side and there was a fire beside yours. In the interest of public safety and to stop the fire they legally can give you 5 minutes to grab your prized possessions and then tear down your house. Then he added if the rubble is in the street they can fine you for cleaning it up. Nice scenario, huh?
But, I for one would go to a town meeting and bring it up. We had someone in town that didn't like the way the township trimmed back her shrubs. According to the paper they had to notify her in advance of the trimming. But, then again that was based on an established policy of the township. Your township may or may not have a similar policy.

DVD Polizei

Yeah, those Mercedes 780SL Coupe Garbage Trucks could get all scratched up if a tree branch got in the way.

I'd require the city to prove the tree was doing damage to the garbage trucks or inhibiting their garbage collecting. If they can't provide the documentation, you may have some sort of case. If they have documented requests for you to trim the tree to a certain point and it was not done, then you don't have a case at all.

Trigger

I should clarify that it wasn't the city... it was SRP (Salt River Project) the power company... which is strange because the notices I've gotten came from the City of Scottsdale (water and trash).

JasonF

I would contact your Alderman/City Councilman/whatever they call them in Scottsdale.

pyro383

I don't think you have a case with the electric company. They have a filed tree trimming/brush policy with local/city/fed agencies which give them a right of way.

Cameron

i'd shit in my garbage can

auto

Report the asshole. They're probably underage.

tcoursen

I think in the town I live in the first few feet of the property are yours, but the city can do stuff with them. There are no sidewalks in the part of town that I live in. But if the town decides to put them in, they can, and you can't stop them. The city has also been going around the older part of the town and repaving and redoing a lot of the streets. Some trees that are real close to the sewer drains have gotten cut down, and I don't think the people had any say in it. Also I think if the three is along the street my town has a rule about you cutting it down. If you cut it down you have to replace it or something like that, unless you get a waiver. I think the trees along the street somehow belong to the town. If the tree is dead or needs to be trimmed, the town comes and does it. But I would imagine that each town is differant.

So maybe you live in a town that has those kinds of rules with easments and right aways.

Shoveler

Yeah, I was going to ask about easements. The house we just bought has a specific 10 foot easement aloing the property line for utility access. Is it possible that your property has such an easement (of which you are unaware)? If so, it wouldn't surprise me if they took the tree down faster than you could say Reddy Kilowatt.

NotThatGuy

That sucks.

Sue!!

-pedagogue

DigIt

Another vote for electrical easement. The tree was probably too close to the telephone pole. Probably has nothing to do with the garbage truck.

Trigger

Yeah, it was right next to a telephone pole, but had been there for probably 30 years.

OldDude

In my neighborhood, the power company had not been strictly enforcing their easement and keeping trees back from the lines. We had a bunch of power outages, they took a load of a shit, and got tough. They came through and cut everything back at least 10' to either side, 10' below the lines, and unlimited above the lines.

They could have tried to shape things a bit better, but hopefully power will be more reliable.

tasha99

We have the opposite problem where I live. The city is planting trees--homeowners wishes be damned--in people's yards for "beautification." They even come by and water them (and they say our governement doesn't have enough money. )

I have a neighbor who got pissed and pulled his tree out and moved it to the backyard where he actually wanted a tree. They came and planted another within a week.

PrincessT

Wow, all this fuss over trees! According to [link]www.thecareoftrees.com[/link], trees comprise about 30% of the equity in your home. However, consider the source.

I believe trees add beautification, but putting them in people's yards without giving a second thought to the homeowners' wishes--that's wrong. Sounds like cities are getting as bad as some homeowner's associations.

NotThatGuy

When I buy a house, I might have to hire some hoodlums to cut down all of the trees around the house I want to buy...I mean, I'll save 30%!! I could definately replant trees for WAY less.

-pedagogue

DaveNinja

You should take a chainsaw down to the power company headquarters and start chopping down trees. If they ask what you're doing you can say "payback, bitch!"

Trigger

As it turns out, it's not SRP or City of Scottsdale... as of now it's a mystery who did it. I'm trying to get a hold of Qwest and Scottsdale Police is coming over to take a useless report later this evening.

darkside

It was probably those damn kids!! (shakes fist)

Sorry I was just recreating my next door neighbor when anything happens in the neighborhood.

NotThatGuy

It was the Chainsaw Mafia. They go around and harass home owners with their blatant disregard for proper pruning and shaving.

-pedagogue

milkman71

...You are still talking about trees? Right??!!

NotThatGuy

What are YOU talkin' about?!

-pedagogue