Any time you need to have a tree removed on your own property, we can be there to assist you. As a tree service, we go where the work calls us. There are certain issues of protocol and neighborly concern, however, which come into play when removing trees along property lines.
Whose Tree Is It?
This is an issue that comes up relatively often, and it isn’t specific to Cincinnati or even to the United States. This subject came up from a legal standpoint back in 2018 in Toronto, when a Canadian ruling clarified that boundary trees are the common property of both sets of neighbors, not just one house or the other. This means that the management of a tree along a property line has to be jointly agreed upon by both neighbors, whenever possible.
We’d love to say that this probably isn’t an issue for most homeowners and their neighbors. In most cases, people will rake the leaves that fall onto their property, and usually one neighbor or the other tends to take the ownership over trees along the property line to make sure they’re properly cared for. Most of the time, neighboring homeowners find their way to a mutually satisfying solution when it comes to property line trees.
What Can Happen if There’s a Dispute?
In the Toronto case, the issue was that one homeowner unilaterally decided to remove a tree which they believed was dangerous, and their neighbor objected … but the first homeowner proceeded anyway. The removal of the tree led to a $5,000 fine for the neighbor who ordered the tree removed. The subsequent appeal in the case in Ontario resulted in a 15,000-word decision by the judge presiding over the case, upholding the original decision.
We hope, that at least in the matter of tree care, all is hunky dory between you and your neighbors. May no such disputes ever enter your world and sully that strip of green between your yard and theirs (not to mention, cost you $5000).
That said, it is worth noting that such decisions – to remove trees along a property line – are best to be approached mutually, and with a neighborly sense of respect and consideration.
How to Resolve Disputes About Boundary Trees
Here at Tree Images, we are merely a Cincinnati tree removal service and not a mediator of tree-related neighborhood disputes, so we have no experience with remediation, contract disputes, or group therapy. But we hope your relationships with your neighbors are cordial, jovial, and in all ways equanimous. If you want to keep things peachy-keen between you and your neighbors, our advice is to rake your leaves, pick up the branches on your side of the yard, and don’t cut anything down near the property line without their agreement.
If you need any form of tree trimming, service, or tree removal (with neighborly consent, if needed) give us a call if you are in the Cincinnati area. Tree Images is happy to help. Our number is 513-528-4167, or you can use our easy contact form.
