Neighbor trees over my property line - options
My back yard’s covered in the — very tall — trees from either side from two houses, where the branches are reaching over my yard, covering about 80% of it. To the point where I get no light in the back yard, and moisture builds up which mosquitoes and insects love. In the fall, I have a lot of cleaning to do. Needless to say, there’s no light hitting the back of the house windows, either, except in winter when there are no leaves on the branches. So on one side of me I have a rental building, the type where the landlord is never seen or heard from other than to collect rent. On the other side I have a unit that’s sitting vacant as it’s in the process of going through some legal process. I can’t tell if it is bank owned or what, as accounts differ (and acris shows it passed back and forth between a guy and an LLC). Am I responsible for the branches coming over onto my property line? What would you do? A) Pay for the cost yourself of trimming the branches over your property line. Any idea what the costs are here? These trees are probably 1.5-2X the height of the houses around them. B) Try to seek out and find the absentee owners on either side and try nicely to convince them it’s their responsibility to trim the branches on my side C) Get the DoB involved; one of the two branches are intertwined with the cabling coming from a utility pole into my and the adjacent house’s wires.
soundhoner
in Landscaping 9 years and 7 months ago
8
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8 replies
NeoGrec | 9 years and 6 months ago
There was a column about this in the NYT RE section yesterday. A. is the correct choice UNLESS the overgrown branches pose a danger to your building, in which case they are the responsibility of the property owner where the tree is. So, for example, if the branches touch your windows when it’s windy that could be considered dangerous: in a storm they could break your windows.
soundhoner | 9 years and 7 months ago
Thanks all! This was incredibly useful and exactly what I was looking for!
anotherposter | 9 years and 7 months ago
I agree with the others. You should move quickly and have the branches on your side of the fence lopped off before someone who might get upset (even though it’s your right) moves in. You are lucky that it’s not a situation where there is an owner living there who is very attached to them. That’s my situation–next door neighbor has what I consider to be very ugly overgrown shrubs that are the height of the house now, blocking tons of light and dropping tons of needles in my yard and I just wish they would remove the shrubs and put in something nicer looking. On the flip side, I’ve got a tree I’d love to cut, but 3 neighbors have on multiple occasions expressed their attachment to our tree. I like it too, but it’s a spruce and we’re spending a fortune on soil ammendment trying to get anything to grow near it and we bought a place with a yard so I could garden. I’d add Arborpolitan to that list. They’ve done pruning work for me (of my own trees and ones overgrowing the fence) and were really pleasant and professional and a little better priced than Urban Arborists (who also do good work).
daveinbedstuy | 9 years and 7 months ago
B then A but don’t waste too much time with B I used Family Tree Service listed above and had a very good experience with them, years ago
Arkady | 9 years and 7 months ago
Yes, they’re your problem – I’ve had a magnolia trimmed 4 times over the years. Other neighbors affected by it have shared the cost – but not the one who owns the tree. Here’s a list of arborists – prices range but I’d get at least 4 estimates. Clearview – Call Paul: 917-807-7316 (from ‘Stoner) Prospect – 718 871 1354 Urban Arborist – 718 522 0612 Ken Nicely – 718 252 2388 Lawrence Schultz – 267 241 6858 Family – 718 698 2725 Your Tree – 718 443 3277 Tree Care – 718 638 8733 Rite Way – 718 376 2070 Some of these may be out of business – it’s a paper list since my computer died & I lost my most recent info. I liked Prospect & Urban but a friend preferred Schultz. People on ‘Stoner recommend Family. I did find that no one service gives best estimate on different projects. And, whatever you do, don’t use Dragonetti.
bedstuytownhouse | 9 years and 7 months ago
It’s your responsibility. It is the neighborly thing to do for the property owners to do but they have no obligation to do so and from the sound of it, they probably won’t. Have Family Tree come out and give you an estimate. You only need the branches cut down, nothing else. Guessing a couple thousand dollars which you can write off if you have a two family or more home.
slopefarm | 9 years and 7 months ago
that’s my understanding as well.
mozeeatupu | 9 years and 7 months ago
Only option you have is A. It’s your responsibility and DOB doesn’t do anything with trees.