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[monkeypuzzle]

Question. My neighbor has a large water oak that has a few large limbs overhanging my back porch. I have played in this tree, taken a few dead hangers out,even got my cat out of the darn thing. I will be painting my house in the fall(few months) and I want the tree limbs overhanging this area gone. The tree is cool, but time to think about my investment.

She is acting funny towards me and this tree. She is old and ignorant about trees, said I will kill her tree.

Oh well, I told her that if she did not get someone to look at it that I would do the work myself. I told her that I wanted it done right and did not want to deal with suckers next year and so on. This means I would have to be on her property to make proper cuts.

Her lazy asssss son came over and told her nothing was wrong with these limbs and to not let me cut anything,and IF there was to be any cutting I should do this from my roof. See where I'm at with these fools. These folks have been cool in the past so I'm kinda stumped as to there logic. I blew up and started getting loud, and of course now I am a violent person. I am so pissed now I just might do something crazy like throw a snake at her and turn him a few few flips.

Kidding. Just never thought these people would act this way.

And of course I am just a tree guy who knows nothing about trees, but they didn't think twice to wake me up 2-3 years ago to take a limb out of their roof. Tried to hand me $10.00 for my trouble, I declined. People really scare me. What would be the absolute BEST responce to this problem that should NOT even be happening? Thanks, Monkeypuzzle

 

[Guy Meilleur]

Originally posted by monkeypuzzle
I will be painting my house in the fall(few months) and I want the tree limbs overhanging this area gone. I wanted it done right and did not want to deal with suckers next year and so on. This means I would have to be on her property to make proper cuts.

How much clearance do you need? 6-10' is typically enough to clear a roof and allow for air movt., painting etc.

An old water oak will typically not sucker back aggressively if cuts are made to vigorous laterals. If they do, repruning 1x/yr. does not sound like a burden. Reducing limbs with a pole tool (do you have a big pruner head?) may well do the trick. If you say the limbs need to be removed when they only need to be reduced, you may want to look again.

AS a tree guy you should know that reduction cuts are proper pruning and easy to make. You're thinking about your house investment, and as a tree guy you should know the tree adds to value while cutting cooling costs, so preserving as much of it as possible is what you both want.

The advice to "cut what you can" definitely works against your best interest, and will worsen instead of heal the conflict with your neighbors. If you want to lose a war, follow a hothead.

 

[Guy Meilleur]

Why thank you, Rocky; not knowing Stevie I had to be sure. Anyone who starts off by saying "I want the tree limbs overhanging this area gone" sounds a little cut-happy, and I'm glad to know he understands that reduction is often better than removal. :angel:

Also, if you look again you'll see that it was a pole PRUNER I talked about, because it makes cleaner cuts than a pole SAW.

 

[Nathan Wreyford]

Thought you were off to Montany with the witness relocation or whatever. Now that Brian let your name out of the proverbial bag, it is all over.

Sounds like this lady has a case of "mine". Sometimes that wears off when they see you are only there to help.

.02

 

[monkeypuzzle]

We close on the Montany house Aug. 6th. Nathan. Will be leaving very soonand I'll be changing my name.

Yes I am a little cut happy today Guy thank ya. I love trees and also love shade, maybe even more than you and snakes and frogs and turtles and skinks and don't forget those large water creatures lurking under EVERY tree on the river.

Guy, have you ever killed a snake? If you have be prepared to get a earfull? If not, then I love you too.

There is no conflict andI have NO intent on hacking the tree. BUT the very IMPORTANT son just wanted to try his hand at being IMPORTANT. He is so IMPORTANT that I could shoot him in the eye and go back inside and have lunch.

Should I ask them to cut down the Tallow tree leaning over MY fence? Man that thing is growing fast. Naa, the cedar waxwings like it too much.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Hey Stevie, that guy DOES sound IMPORTANT!!! Ya better just poke em in the eye, instead.

 

[monkeypuzzle]

Yea you're right Butch. Both eyes though

 

[monkeypuzzle]

OK I was PM'd and got to thinking about entering the trees that are overhanging a property line.

Anyone know what the law would say if you broke that imaginary plane and headed for the main leader of the tree next door? To make a proper cut(s) this may happen. Geeezzze I feel a headache coming on.



Practice Abstinence------> NO Bush and NO **** !!!

 

[Stumper]

Yes it would be tresspass-technically. Trespass laws are fairly toothless. To be prosecuted for tresspassing in most jurisdictions you must refuse to leave after being advised that you are trespassing and that your presence is unwanted. The question of 'damages ' arises if you cut something on someone else's property.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Why not just stand on your porch witha felcos hand pruner and take off the tips, say, three years growth. Then do a Cambistat treatment to keep the growth in check.
A big problem now is that we have human egos involved, try to keep that in check, although I bet you want to stub those limbs off just to show them!
Customers are always telling me they want hole limbs removed, so I tell them to let me trim them back and if they still think the limb needs to go, then we can remove it.
Make proper pruning cuts at laterals and try to make the limb look natural, don't forget, even though the tree starts at your neighbors lot, it's your asset. When you go to sell your house that tree will be a big selling point to the buyers that like trees. And who doesn't like trees?