$1500 to have a tree taken down

[China_cat]

Ruined by my neighbor who wouldn't wait for us to get someone to remove the branches overhanging her roof in a way that wouldn't damage the whole tree. (Yes we WERE working on it and kept her apprised...had somebody lined up who couldn't get to us for 10 days but she wouldn't wait.) She had kids with hacksaws cut enough of the branches that their weight broke them off and peeled into the main trunk. We had some work done on it but the time the cuts were open were enough to attract too many bugs and the repairs didn't take.

So now the tree has to come down. A 50 year old, 35 ft. hackberry. $1500 was the cheapest we could find in a company that is licensed and has insurance. The rest wanted anywhere from $2200 to $3000.

I hope my neighbor will be happy with her new electric bill. That tree shades the side of her house where the a/c is, allowing it not to have to work so hard.

[Stinky The Clown]

1. It sounds to me like she might have some liability exposure

I am not a lawyer and I don't play one on DU, but it is my understanding that a property owner has the right to trim overhanging branches on their property.

They do NOT have the right to damage the tree beyond ugly trimming. It sounds as if her careless triming led to the tree's untimely demise.

You may want to talk to a lawyer. If the law's on your side, take her to small claims court.

[China_cat]

2. Nah. Even if you win in small claims court

you have to do the collecting yourself and she hasn't got it.

I will just content myself with knowing that her electric bill is going to go up by at least a third...and then I will go out and plant 3 more trees on that side of the house. Which will be worse to her than taking her to court. (She hates green and growing things and has stated that if she ever has the money she will take up all the vegetation on her property and concrete the whole lot.) She used to bitch at me all the time for my plants until I started planting 3 new things every time she opened her mouth.

[CrispyQ]

3. She prefers concrete over green & living things?

Unfuckingbelievable!

I hope her AC bill doubles!

[Stinky The Clown]

4. It'd be even better if her AC just fails.

[Stinky The Clown]

5. I lived in Charleston waaaaaaaaaay back in the late 60s ........

... does the smell from the paper mill still overpower people without air conditioning?

[China_cat]

6. Are you thinking of the paper mill or the phosphate plant?

The smell that would hit you and make you puke was from the phosphate plant. It blew up quite some time ago (literally exploded) and hasn't been reactivated. The paper mill still smells but no where near as bad as it used to.

Late 60's huh? Navy? Or would you have patronized places like the 3 Nags and the Boar's Head?

[Stinky The Clown]

7. Navy ........ and maybe it *was* the phosphate plant

Yeah ... the smell that would knock you over.

I lived in Mt Pleasant for a while and I also lived downtown in a carriage house (with a lady Navy officer, which was very against the rules :) ) But when I lived on the ship (without air conditioning) we often slept on deck under the vents. The vents blew a big breeze and kept the bugs off us, but the smell ...... oh.my.gawd.the.smell from that paper mill (or maybe phosphate plant).

I **really** need to get back there for a visit. It's been maybe 20 years since I was last there. I LOVE that city.

Is the shrimp fleet still running out of Shem Creek?

[China_cat]

8. Yep, the shrimper still run

but the restaurant there...the Trawler...is gone.

It's a much different city than it was in the late 60's. No more Seaman's Club or Pilot's, Zebra club has been gone a long time, the strip into the Navy base has been gone for years and years, even before the base closed. Only a couple strip clubs left and b-girls don't make much of a living any more.

Hell, they've even renovated the Southern Aire Hotel downtown into office suites. (Don't know if you remember that one or not...one of the better whorehouses in town)

I really think what you're remembering is the phosphate plant. Remember how the sky would get all orangy and the streetlights would look yellow/orange when the smell was the worst?

[Stinky The Clown]

10. Weren't there two restaurants? The Trawler and the Lorelei (sp?)?

When I lived in Mt Pleasant, we had a place not far from there. I recall buying shrimp right off the boats and it being sold by the dozen instead of the pound. A dozen was one HUGE handful .... and I also recall paying 50 cents a dozen for them.

I arrived in Charleston on my 21st birthday (1968) and boarded my first ship, since converted to razor blades. :) I recall that smell as if it were yesterday. I thought I had died and gone to hell. And yeah .... most likely the phosphate plant ('orange sky' was the clue).

That strip outside the base ..... I was one of the fortunate ones. I allowed two B-girls to drink a paycheck of mine and never returned. In my case, 'youth' was synonymous with 'stupid'.

I pretty much tried to avoid the base and also hide the fact I was in the Navy when I was off duty. It was also pretty much impossible. I think sailors had a certain smell about them ..... to say nothing of giveaway haircuts. :)

"Dogs and Sailors Keep Off the Grass"

[China_cat]

11. The Lorelei burned down in 73 or 74

68 was when I met my favorite ex-husband here in Charleston. He was on the Hunley.

[Stinky The Clown]

15. The Hunley? .... no shit!!!!!

I was one pier over ..... on the Pandemus. Betcha never heard of *that* one! 350 feet of rust and concrete patches over the holes in the hull. We went to sea just once in all the time I was on her .... after we got the steel cables unwelded from the pier. :)

I was on that damned thing till 3 months after she was decommissioned.

[Warpy]

14. Bo Waters was the one that stunk up central NC

whenever the wind was from the south, which was a lot.

Feh.

[Grateful for Hope]

9. LOL!

Great strategy! I can't understand anyone not loving green and growing things.

[China_cat]

12. She had absolute fits about our 6ft. tall

American Holly that had 2 inch thorns on it. She was convinced that someone could hide in it and jump out at her at night. And there was no convincing her that anyone stupid enough to try to hide in it wouldn't be jumping anywhere. Not with that amount of blood loss. We couldn't even get close enough to trim the damned thing without full body armor and welding masks.

[goddess40]

19. here if you win in small claims you can attach a lien for $5

that way if they sell a big item such as a car or house you get your money before they receive any profit

[China_cat]

21. Can't do that here.

[Warpy]

13. Yes, take plenty of pictures showing how her incompetence

killed a valuable tree. Call around to nurseries to find out what that kind of a tree will cost to replace so that it sheds adequate shade.

Then haul her worthless ass into court.

If she can prove there was actual damage from the overhanging branches, she could countersue, so check that part out, too.

Still, you lost a valuable asset to your property. You can petition for redress and it won't even cost you a lawyer.

[China_cat]

16. Like I said, she hasn't got anything

It'll be enough that she'll suffer the slings and arrows of SCE&G.

And no, there was never any damage from overhanging branches. We always trimmed off the ends before they reached her house...during the winter when the tree was bare and dormant.

Like I said, she just doesn't like green and growing things.

[goddess40]

20. Is she a renter or does she own her house?

If she's a renter then I doubt she had the right to cut the branches that would fall to the landlord - otherwise she has the house - you might not get your money until she sells or dies. It's the idea that just because she doesn't have ready cash she can do what ever she likes that bothers me about liberals - we are sometime to forgiving.

[China_cat]

22. She owns her house.

And I'm not so forgiving...it's just that I know I won't get anything monetary out of her so I'll make up for it in annoyance factor. IF the city grants the permit to take down the tree. If they don't, then she'll be in deep kimchee with the city and they have everything they need to go after her. We're waiting now for word.

If the tree goes, I'll just plant 3 more. That will start the annoyance. Then I may put in some other plants right along our common fence. Which will enrage her. I wonder if durian would grow in Charleston.

[China_cat]

17. Update

Things have changed since the last time we had to have a tree taken down. Besides the price.

We now have to have a permit to allow us to remove the tree. In order to get that permit, the tree had to be inspected by code enforcement, pictures taken and we'll have to wait for a ruling by the COMMITTEE that approves permits before we can schedule the work to be done. And if the committee decides that the tree is salvagable, we won't be ALLOWED to remove it.

The neighbor who has damaged this tree has already had one slap from code enforcement for our 'jungle' in the back that she wanted cut down and reported as a nuisance. Turned out that it's a nesting habitat for Carolina wrens, the state bird and protected. She got hysterical when they told us, in front of her, that we'd be fined if we touched it.

Right now I'm sitting here saying please, please, please deny the permit. Because if they do, then the city will step in for the damage she caused the tree and make her pay for it. And I can say 'sorry, I don't have any say in this'...then come inside where she can't see me and laugh my ass off.


Here's a picture of the tree. The neighbor is to the right

[CC]

18. I hope it can be saved

and the neighbor has to pay the tree doctor. I also hope she is fined for what she already did. Looks like you would lose a lot of shade on your house too, not just the neighbor.

[China_cat]

23. Another Update

the permit was approved. The tree comes down tomorrow.

[CC]

24. Sorry to hear that. I do hope she

is at least fined.

You might want to look into a fast growing tree to replace it so you get some shade back sooner than later. I got some hybrid poplars for the west side of our house since there was no shade there. They have done great and really have gown 6-12 feet a year depending on the amount of water they got each summer. We just put slower growing trees (maple and oak) where we want trees permanently with the poplars in between for fast shade. Just lost two of those this year to electricity when someone hit the power pole and the line to the house laid on them too long. Guess better to lose the trees than the house though.

Adding a picture of the one left, it is 8 years old. The pine tree behind it is 21 plus years old. The poplar is over 40 feet tall now and was only a 3 foot twig when we planted it. I am going to have to get a couple more to replace the ones lost because we can really feel the difference with the sun beating down on that side of the house. The oak and maple have a long long way to go to do any good.



The fence next to it is 5 foot tall. I am evil, if my neighbor had down that I would probably plant a lone of these along the property line to piss her off. :evilgrin:

[China_cat]

25. We had one of those poplars in front of the house.

I know what you mean about fast growing. We lost it after a windstorm pushed it partway over and we knew that one more good blow would not only take out the tree but the electric lines, too.

And yes, I've been thinking about putting 3 of them along that fence line, with something that puts out plenty of pollen in between.

[youthere]

26. Cottonwood is allways a good choice for pollen.

Plus those little floating tufts it sheds cause lots of sneezes too. A weeping willow would make a heck of a good mess on her property too...or huckleberry.

[China_cat]

27. Cottonwood would cause ME serious problems.

But I did entertain the thought for about 10 seconds. Weeping willows don't do well here in SC unless you can plant them on the edge of moving water. So that's a no, also.

[TygrBright]

28. Sweetgum. Raking up gumballs is FUN!!! n/t

[CC]

29. How about a purple

Mulberry tree? My mom still has nightmares of trying to get the stains out of our clothes from hers and I have sweet memories of climbing it, eating yummy mulberries and having purple feet most of the summer.

[China_cat]

30. Oh, yes...and the caterpillars that thrive off mulberries

and make lots of moths.