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Health & Fitness

Find out what the Law says about Trees in your Town

Trees in Your Town - Know the Law

Did you know that many Cities, Towns and Counties have tree ordinances? Some have view and sunlight ordinances too. All the rules are particular to the location, but they most often call for a permit to cut down trees of a certain size, type or number. If you want to cut down one of the "desirable" trees in your town (say a redwood in Mill Valley or an oak in many places), you usually will need an arborist's report, giving your reasons, such as disease or decay. Use this handy site for finding your town's ordinances. 

Sometimes, there will be hearings and your neighbors may speak out. When, as in the last post on this blog, someone wants to cut a heritage oak for construction, where those trees are protected, that might not be a good enough reason. Especially if the neighbors cry foul.

On the other hand, if you have an "undesirable" tree, such as Eucalyptus just about anywhere, acacia or fast growing pines or cypress (note, if you live on the Monterey Peninsula, proceed with caution if you want to cut a native Monterey cypress), your neighbors may cheer. They may even press the Town to make you take down these trees if there is a threat of their falling on their property.

I have had more than one dead or diseased "undesirable" type looming over a client's house, where neighborly letters and arborist's reports needed a court's persuasion to get the threat abated.

This is a costly way to proceed.  If your neighbor's tree is a threat to your well-being, first make sure the threat is real, then talk to your neighbor about it, know what the law says in your Town and always consider mediation before bringing in the legal guns.

From my blog: www.landusenews.blogspot.com Your comments welcome
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The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?