avalancher
Arboristsite Raconteur
Today couldnt have gotten any worse.Or maybe I shoudnt say that out loud...
A tree service buddy of mine called and left a voice mail over the weekend, seems that another tree service had been out clearing power lines in his area, and he said that there was some nice red oak stems left behind.No brush to battle, and right along the road.
I loaded up this afternoon, and headed on over there. 150 ft off of the road was two nice pieces of red oak, 24 DBH.As i drove up alongside the pieces, I wondered why the crews knocked them down, they were far enough from the power lines, but hey, I figured they knew what they were doing.I called the tree service, told them where I was at, and asked if it was okay if I took the logs.The guy said they were going to come on out later this week and haul them away, but if I wanted them, go ahead, less for them to worry about.
Hauled the 357 out and started making the chips fly.After my first tank full, I stopped to refuel, load what I had cut, and touch up the chain. Then the cops showed up.Right behind them was the property owner.
Seems that although the logs were in the right of way of the power lines, the stumps where on his property, and he was mad as he11 that the trees had been cut to begin with.I explained to the cops that the tree service had taken the trees because they were interfering with the power lines, but the landowner pointed to trees that were closer to the power lines than the cut trees, and asked "why didnt they cut them also?"
GOOD QUESTION!
I have no idea why they took these trees, from the size of the logs, I really had my doubts that the canopy would have been into the lines.
I offered the cops my cell phone as well as the number to the tree service, and they called em up.Guy on the phone flat out denied ever giving me the go ahead to take the logs, and insisted that he was the only one that answered the phone that day.
I then showed the cop the history in my cell phone, proving that I had indeed called them a little less than an hour ago.But as the cop pointed out, that did not prove that they had given me permission, and they did not have the legal right to give something away anyway if it didnt belong to them.
then they asked the landowner if he wanted to press charges, and my heart sank when he said he did.then he turned to me and said, "If you haul all of this wood to my house, split and stack it, I wont press charges"
The cop spoke up and mentioned the fact that he could now take both of us to jail, me for theft, and him for extortion since it happened right in his presence.
The guy got pissed, jumped in his truck and took off. the cop kinda grinned, and told me that it was clear that I had meant no harm, thought I was acting within the law, and thought I had the proper permission, although he stressed the fact that ignorance was no excuse.
Since it was starting to rain, we were both eager to get out of there,so I loaded my saws and hauled butt.
From now on, I am sticking to written permission on private land!
A tree service buddy of mine called and left a voice mail over the weekend, seems that another tree service had been out clearing power lines in his area, and he said that there was some nice red oak stems left behind.No brush to battle, and right along the road.
I loaded up this afternoon, and headed on over there. 150 ft off of the road was two nice pieces of red oak, 24 DBH.As i drove up alongside the pieces, I wondered why the crews knocked them down, they were far enough from the power lines, but hey, I figured they knew what they were doing.I called the tree service, told them where I was at, and asked if it was okay if I took the logs.The guy said they were going to come on out later this week and haul them away, but if I wanted them, go ahead, less for them to worry about.
Hauled the 357 out and started making the chips fly.After my first tank full, I stopped to refuel, load what I had cut, and touch up the chain. Then the cops showed up.Right behind them was the property owner.
Seems that although the logs were in the right of way of the power lines, the stumps where on his property, and he was mad as he11 that the trees had been cut to begin with.I explained to the cops that the tree service had taken the trees because they were interfering with the power lines, but the landowner pointed to trees that were closer to the power lines than the cut trees, and asked "why didnt they cut them also?"
GOOD QUESTION!
I have no idea why they took these trees, from the size of the logs, I really had my doubts that the canopy would have been into the lines.
I offered the cops my cell phone as well as the number to the tree service, and they called em up.Guy on the phone flat out denied ever giving me the go ahead to take the logs, and insisted that he was the only one that answered the phone that day.
I then showed the cop the history in my cell phone, proving that I had indeed called them a little less than an hour ago.But as the cop pointed out, that did not prove that they had given me permission, and they did not have the legal right to give something away anyway if it didnt belong to them.
then they asked the landowner if he wanted to press charges, and my heart sank when he said he did.then he turned to me and said, "If you haul all of this wood to my house, split and stack it, I wont press charges"
The cop spoke up and mentioned the fact that he could now take both of us to jail, me for theft, and him for extortion since it happened right in his presence.
The guy got pissed, jumped in his truck and took off. the cop kinda grinned, and told me that it was clear that I had meant no harm, thought I was acting within the law, and thought I had the proper permission, although he stressed the fact that ignorance was no excuse.
Since it was starting to rain, we were both eager to get out of there,so I loaded my saws and hauled butt.
From now on, I am sticking to written permission on private land!
Someone should propose a new sticky thread with a title like, "The strange tales of Messr. avalancher, Tennessee firewooder."
