TIMBER!!! Legality of tree chopping?

KdjaCL

I have 3 quite large trees out my back by large i mean 50 to 60 feet, i have a new neighbour whoi has mentioned them.

I am expecting him to ask us to chop them down as they lean into his garden slightly and do not block any sun. they are quite large for a housing estate and i really like them.

But i not sure if he can have them chopped down on any legal grounds.

Anyone know?

kdjac

Pataman

I would imagine the onus is on him to prove they are a danger to his property. Not an expert but I would think it unlikely. You may have to get a tree surgeon to help your case

viking

All this is AFAIK...

If any part of the trees are leaning into his garden he is free to trim/remove those parts, however as the trees are your property he can return the cuttings to you or chuck them for you.

There is such a thing called "Right to Light", you mention that the trees are not blocking his light but that they are 50-60ft high. Are they definitely not blocking his light?

Also he may have worries about the trees falling/branches falling on his property (like his shed) or even worse falling and injuring someone.

We have trees that are about 3 storeys high leaning over into our back garden and I'd rather see them trimmed in height. I'm worried that high winds could cause branches to fall on my shed/house and causing damage or injury. Also as we have a south facing garden the trees block light during the summer and in winter the little amount of sun that we do get doesn't reach the bottom of the garden which means that its constantly marshy and the grass we sowed is now turned to moss.

I'm also constantly cleaning up leaves and small branches that inevitably fall into the garden but I would suggest that if your neighbour is a nice guy and asks nicely if you could trim the height then you might consider meeting his request as not all people are keen on large trees near their property.

I wont mention the problems that I'm also having with large trees interrupting my wireless broadband

Viking

Victor

You might talk to your local council (planning department) about getting them protected.

KdjaC wrote:

i have a new neighbour

Which probably goes agaisnt him as he bought the property as is. It's not as if you suddenly planted these trees.

KdjaC wrote:

I am expecting him to ask us to chop them down

Fair enough, at this cost.

But i not sure if he can have them chopped down on any legal grounds.

Unlikely, trimmed maybe, chopped down unlikely.

Are you happy insurance wise that the trees are safe? Not diseased / dead / damaged?

KdjaCL

They are those Xmas type trees (oh school had a name for them) they do shed but only in my garden, the sun thing is great as it rises in front garden and goes down in back so no blocking on his side (other side they do but we there 5 years and they not complained trees 30 year + and they been there since then).

I trimmed them on his side for the prvious neighbour and he was cool about it they do go into his property but only at about 20 feet and upwards.

So right to light i covered, dont think he has any legal grounds and at €1200 a tree i aint paying if he does , altho only one would need to be chopped for his whinging.


kdjac

kadman

Of course if they're conifers as you say, and happen to be Macrocarpa's, then the question of chopping them down may be academic......as they are notoriously unstable, and may just fall down on his house any way, seems they are leaning in his direction, might be the early stages of moving from the vertical to the horizontal. Then again they might just be your average leylandi. Check it out. Don't let overhanging branches end up as an overhanging tree.

kadman

rooferPete

Hi,

I don't have any tree problems except keeping my own in check

I am also no gardener, but I was shocked at what I found when we decided to remove about six that were blocking our view as we drove out on to the road.

They were evergreens about twenty feet high but with a very small root base, so small
I don't know how they stayed up in the wind.

Personally I would have them topped before they caused problems, Solicitors like the phrase "Duty of care" when things like trees fall.

kadman

And remember if you are chopping them down, find out exactly what type pf tree they are before you cut them up for fireword. Yew is a conifer , but you could end up cutting up a tree worth hundreds of Euro.s. Lots of so called " conifers" are excellent and valuable sources of wood suitable for woodturning, cabinetmaking ect. So either get knowledgeable advice on its type, or take off a small length of twig, with needles and fruit / bud, take it to the library and check it visually. I often went to collect wood for turning, that some fool thought was firewood, and he ended up burning thousands of pounds of yew and fiddle back sycamore.

kadman

karltimber

I am also a woodturner ---

why not post a pic of it on here and we will see what it is !!!

kadman

See,

You have two woodturners interested already, as Karltimber suggested rightly, someone will be able to identify it for you, if you post pics, or describe the cones or fruit pins ect,

Dont chop it until you identify it ...please.
kadman

karltimber

I recently saw a 18inch diameter Laburnum tree chopped down and to my horror found it had been cut to 6 inch rings --- no use to me anyhow.

If it was cut into 18inch rings I would have taken the lot.

Might be in your interest to find out what it is -- you might even get some-one to cut it and take it away !!!

kadman

Laburnum, thats poisonous, isn't it ?

Never turned that, I believe its a nice timber though.

kadman

karltimber

No - laburnum is a beauty dark hard timber with fantastic figure.

Has a bark like it was painted with varnish. very heavy also.

makes lovely lamops and weed pots.

K

kadman

Laburnum, leaves twigs and especially seeds are poisonous ( ref. The Tree and Shrub Expert, author Dr. D.G. Hessayon. )
So be careful.

Kadman

karltimber

thx - didn't know that - but I usually only take the actual timber and wear a facemask when turning sanding.

Do you want to try some - PM me.

Alun

Another woodturner here Either Yew or Laburnum will do me nicely thank you!

I turn plenty of Yew, both large stuff when I can get it, and small things (keyfobs, bottle stoppers, small boxes etc.) from the branchwood. Never turned laburnum, but from what I've seen of it it's very similar to Yew in as much as there's a very strong contrast between the colour of the sapwood and the heartwood.

karltimber

fellow woodturners -*** and sorry for hi-jacking your post ***

how do I get a new section under "REC" setup for woodworking/turning

so we can talk about timber/fallen trees etc

K

kadman

Looks like there is a new forum heading starting here guys. If thats three Yew trees he's cutting, there will be some race to his house. :rolleyes:

Yeah yew is a nice timber for turning , hard enough to get now, though.

kadman

karltimber

Got a 24" dia by 8 foot yew log last june.

Got it cut on site and planked it at home and have 18"-22" platters drying out in my shed at the moment

forced one to dry for a friends wedding a fews back - burned the edge and came up lovely.

I prefer using yes over most other timbers.

kadman

Dont know proper procedure about setting up new forum headings,
but if its anything to do with timber related topics, cad , construction I'm game.

I used to plank any timber I was offered, shame to see timber used for firewood. I was offered abit of sycamore a few years ago, I was told take what you want. So I went down to the field, found a 4'0" diameter sycamore,
and planked the lot. I met the farmer coming into the field 2 days later to fill up with firewood.....nothing left only sawdust

He wasn't amused

Kadman

Alun

karltimber wrote:

Got a 24" dia by 8 foot yew log last june.

Drool !

I prefer using yew over most other timbers.

It's one of my favourites too ... takes a beatiful finish, although it is very prone to small surface cracks developing from excessive heat build-up while sanding.

I'd be up for a Woodturning forum on here too ... shouldn't be too difficult to have setup?

KdjaCL

riiiiiight then i find out what type of firewood it is.


kdjac

kadman

NOO0oooooooo........

Its not firewood......that's blasphemy for a woodturner :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

If you need help identifying , describe it here.

kadman

Victor

The woodturners could go here:http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=461

or here: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=116

kadman

Would we need satellite navigation to find it then
Can't we have our own noticeable heading in the main forums....please. :cool:

kadman

karltimber

our own heading would be nice and would get a good following

kadman

Come on Woodturners , could we have a show of hands please,

By the way how many votes do we need. Two so far, and counting

Karltimber.
kadman.


kadman

Alun

kadman wrote:

Come on Woodturners , could we have a show of hands please,
By the way how many votes do we need. Two so far, and counting

Make that another (unless you'd already counted me, that is )

kadman

Kartltimber.
Kadman.
Alun.

And counting.

Kadman

karltimber

lads,

just got a note from an admin.

I setup a thread on a "new forum" section on woodworking/turning on the link below (posted earlier)
and if we get enough replies, then an admin will set one up.

spread the word for folks to add a note to the thread,

thx

karl.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=2431172#post2431172

kadman

Just been there, I'm in

Kadman.