Neighbor wants to me to pay half to remove property line tree

[OnTheRoad]

I have an awkward situation with a neighbor and would appreciate some input. He and I have gotten along great for the 8 years I've owned this house and I want it to stay that way. However....

There is a 40" Cottonwood that is growing on the property line near the front of both properties. It is directly on top of my water meter pit and is growing under his driveway. The neighbor bought his home when it was built in the late 1950s. Some 10-15 years ago the two property owners had the tree topped but it's still very healthy.

A couple days ago, a rickshaw showed up across the street and three wired up hispanics jumped out of the truck. None of them wore a stitch of PPE. No markings on either truck. One of the workers chopped the tri-forked Maple at head height by cutting back to front and making a nice semi-barber chair. The three trunks were dropped whole, striking nearby trees and damaging the yard.

I saw my next door neighbor talking to one of the guys and feared the worst. He's been wanting that tree down since I bought the place.

So yesterday he texted me stating that he wants to have these guys remove the tree and wants me to pay half. Roots have bulged a few spots in his driveway- which is incidentally installed illegally right up to the property line. I am concerned about the job these guys will do and I would bet they don't have Workman's Comp for the workers. The bid for removal of a 75' live Cottonwood was $1,750. Sounds way too cheap.

I don't want to remove the tree for several reasons. First, because the tree is grown around my meter pit, it has pushed the riser off the valve. As the rootball decays this will only become worse so I would need to dig it up and cut the roots out without disturbing the 55+ year old water service or gas main. Then I'd have to reset the meter pit and bring in dirt. That's a couple days work and a few hundred dollars to rent a mini-x plus a few hundred more for the dirt.

Second, the tree makes good shade. Third it's healthy. Fourth, the tree will outlive the neighbor. It will probably outlast my ownership of the house.

I don't want to pay for the tree removal and I don't see how it should be my responsibility. The neighbor watched day after day as that tree grow from a sapling to a 4' nuisance over the last 55+ years. It has always been at the edge of his driveway and it has always been right on top of my meter pit. Either neighbor could have run it over with a mower but neither had the sense to do so. Matter of fact, the same guy has four other, small trees growing along the edge of his driveway.

I'm going to have this conversation with him later today.

 

[lone wolf]

I have an awkward situation with a neighbor and would appreciate some input. He and I have gotten along great for the 8 years I've owned this house and I want it to stay that way. However....

There is a 40" Cottonwood that is growing on the property line near the front of both properties. It is directly on top of my water meter pit and is growing under his driveway. The neighbor bought his home when it was built in the late 1950s. Some 10-15 years ago the two property owners had the tree topped but it's still very healthy.

A couple days ago, a rickshaw showed up across the street and three wired up hispanics jumped out of the truck. None of them wore a stitch of PPE. No markings on either truck. One of the workers chopped the tri-forked Maple at head height by cutting back to front and making a nice semi-barber chair. The three trunks were dropped whole, striking nearby trees and damaging the yard.

I saw my next door neighbor talking to one of the guys and feared the worst. He's been wanting that tree down since I bought the place.

So yesterday he texted me stating that he wants to have these guys remove the tree and wants me to pay half. Roots have bulged a few spots in his driveway- which is incidentally installed illegally right up to the property line. I am concerned about the job these guys will do and I would bet they don't have Workman's Comp for the workers. The bid for removal of a 75' live Cottonwood was $1,750. Sounds way too cheap.

I don't want to remove the tree for several reasons. First, because the tree is grown around my meter pit, it has pushed the riser off the valve. As the rootball decays this will only become worse so I would need to dig it up and cut the roots out without disturbing the 55+ year old water service or gas main. Then I'd have to reset the meter pit and bring in dirt. That's a couple days work and a few hundred dollars to rent a mini-x plus a few hundred more for the dirt.

Second, the tree makes good shade. Third it's healthy. Fourth, the tree will outlive the neighbor. It will probably outlast my ownership of the house.

I don't want to pay for the tree removal and I don't see how it should be my responsibility. The neighbor watched day after day as that tree grow from a sapling to a 4' nuisance over the last 55+ years. It has always been at the edge of his driveway and it has always been right on top of my meter pit. Either neighbor could have run it over with a mower but neither had the sense to do so. Matter of fact, the same guy has four other, small trees growing along the edge of his driveway.

I'm going to have this conversation with him later today.

Remove the neighbor and the wired Hispanics!

 

[Del_]

Explain to him it's on him if he wants it removed.

You would prefer it stays.

Also mention that you want to see proof of insurance and worker comp as they are going to be only your property during some of the work.

Mention they don't look legit.

 

[lone wolf]

And then call the insurance company to make sure the paper is not a fake.

 

[OnTheRoad]

And then call the insurance company to make sure the paper is not a fake.

When I had my glass business I had contractors who required the workmans comp policy be issued in their name. I will do the same and will call the liability insurer to verify current coverage.

My guess is they will want to drop the tree, whole, into my yard. There are several other trees it would hit on the way down and I won't have it.

 

[lone wolf]

When I had my glass business I had contractors who required the workmans comp policy be issued in their name. I will do the same and will call the liability insurer to verify current coverage.

My guess is they will want to drop the tree, whole, into my yard. There are several other trees it would hit on the way down and I won't have it.

Sounds like your in for some ********. You want a well known company to do the work not hacks. Don't take no garbage from them . I know of people that had trees dropped in their pool by a hack the neighbor hired and they ran away at the time!

 

[gary courtney]

if you are paying half you have a 50% stake as well as say.

 

[Raintree]

Both neighbors need to consent on a property line tree, if you don't want the tree removed say "no".

 

[Streblerm]

I have had this exact conversation with two different neighbors. I told them that I did not want the tree removed but in the interest of being a good neighbor if they wanted to pay to have it removed by an insured arborist that I would consent.

Both those trees are still standing today.

 

[OnTheRoad]

Funny thing; for the last several years I've been hearing how this tree needed to come down because it was dead and dangerous. I did offer to pay half of the fee to have an arborist evaluate the health of the tree. Nothing came of that. I'm going to follow the advice above; if he wants to have it removed I will spend a weekend digging up and resetting my meter pit to fix the damage done over the last 55 years by this tree. I'm not paying for the removal.

 

[ATH]

Depending on how badly you want to keep the tree, you may offer to pay the full expense of the evaluation...

 

[OnTheRoad]

As much as I appreciate the shade, I appreciate the goodwill from my neighbor more. If he wants to have the tree removed I won't fight him. The only question was whether I would help pay for the removal. I have decided I'm not paying for the elective removal of a healthy tree that I would prefer to keep.

I will insist on verifying the workers comp and liability insurance before I allow them to set foot on the job.

 

[TreeTangler]

Absolutely!

 

[damato333]

This is exactly why I will never have neighbors close enough to bother me. Are you sure the tree is on both of your properties? The tree could be yours.

 

[OnTheRoad]

There is a piece of rebar driven into the ground dead center of the trunk and the neighbor says that is a survey stake. If the tree were wholly on my property that would mean his driveway is also on my property and I'm sure that's not the case.

 

[damato333]

Anything is possible. Someone new just moved next to me and they had their property surveyed. It turns my property goes half way into his driveway. Probably 30 years ago a previous owner decided to move his driveway and put it wherever he wanted. The extra 10 feet really doesn't make a difference.

 

[ATH]

You are paying taxes on his driveway...

 

[ch woodchuck]

Sounds complicated...Here in cali.if the tree straddles the property line,it's considered ''community property'',.Both parties have to agree on work to be done.If he wants the tree down and you don't...could go legal.Sounds like there are root damage issues on both properties..another issue.Good luck!

 

[computeruser]

FYI - I had a similarly large cottonwood removed a couple years back by a 100% legit arborist company and a skilled crane operator. Three twigs and some leaves were all that touched my yard, everything else was lifted out, over/around other trees and plantings, and was processed in the street. Total bill: $2,000. So if these chuckleheads are charging $1,750, they'd better actually be doing proper work and not just a flop-and-drop.

 

[old_soul]

a rickshaw huh? id like to see that hauling wood around

In all honesty you sold me on removal when talking about the water valve. someday you will need to access that valve and then what? it will be an emergency (water) and nobody will be able to shut the valve down because of a stump on top of it?

Sounds like a poor spot for a tree in the first place, but its a cottonwood!! I'd sacrifice 1000 of 'em to make sure my water stayed on.

and the neighbor offered to pay half? Sounds like a deal to me