Mandatory Tree Trimming - County Code

14 years ago

We had the dreaded note on the door earlier this week telling us that Orange County was going to be trimming trees along our street. My neighborhood lost almost 80% of our street trees during the 2004 hurricane season so we are kind of protective of our trees. I have my tipuana tipu on the street and I know some parts of it hang over but I trim it up to 10'. Unfortunately, it turns out the county code is 14' over the street and 10' over the sidewalk. Fourteen feet would have taken almost all of the branches on one side of the tree because they are kind of drapey and hang down a bit. The whole tree is only 20 feet tall.

So this morning I took the day off from work, trimmed the tree as much as I could stand to trim it and waited as they slowly made their way from tree to tree up the street. I even called the number on the side of their truck to be sure I knew exactly what their crew had been instructed to do. I saw them taking huge 5" diameter branches off trees and trimming them all the way around, not just on the street side!

Finally they got to my sweet tipu tree. Their supervisor came over with a big smile on his face - I'm sure he had seen me standing there waiting and was expecting a crazy garden lady. OK, maybe I am a crazy garden lady, but I'm also a business person and know that (almost) anything is open to negotiation. So I started out with a reasonable request and calmly stating my case... then quickly moved to begging and pleading! (So much for the mature business person tactic. LOL)

The crew supervisor turned out to be very understanding and helpful. He took the branches up to 14' but only from the curb out; leaving all the branches intact that didn't cross that line. He wielded the saw himself and was very careful. He even had his crew pick up the branches I had cut earlier and toss them in their shredder! He did it all with a smile and took the time to tell me my garden was beautiful.

A few minutes after they were finished, a company (USA Services) rep showed up at my door - I guess in response to my earlier phone call. Wow, that was a surprise and pretty amazing customer service. I told him that the crew supervisor had listened to me, worked with me and responded well to my concerns. I'll be sending an email to the company to tell them the same thing!

Woo hoo! Happy ending!

Kate

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Comments (9)

KaraLynn
14 years ago
It's great that it worked out so well for you! You were very fortunate to have such an understanding and reasonable crew supervisor to work with.

Kara
manature
14 years ago
I'm very glad they didn't ruin your tree, Kate. I know how much you love that one!

We had problems with the county trimmers a couple of years ago that nearly ended up with me chained to my trees to protect them. I finally told them flatly that they could trim anything OUTSIDE my fence, but I would be calling my lawyer if they touched anything inside. (The fence is just inside the property line, so my rights extend straight up from that point.) He had me sign a release form saying I would not hold them responsible for any damage done by branches on my side of the fence, but at least they left it alone. They totally RUINED my neighbor's trees along the road.

And of course, along 46A, they turned all the big oaks into goal posts...huge Y-shaped things that were so hideous to behold they finally removed all the trees and replaced them with lower growing ones, which is what should have been planted under the lines to begin with.

I shudder whenever I see the Asplundh trucks on the roads.

Congratulations on your victory over mindless tipuana tipucide.

Marcia
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thonotorose
14 years ago
I've got the opposite problem. They were just here and I hoped that they would trim my driveway oak very well. I made a BIG mistake.

After talking to the crew chief about what I HOPED they would trim, I then took the camera out for a "before pic". Apparently, that was the kiss of death, because they trimmed the tree in a very minor way.

It looks nothing like the others to the west and east here on Knights Griffin Rd.

This tree has a Souv. Leonie Viennot clambering up it and if they had trimmed the way I hoped, this rose would have grown up the parts of the tree that are in my yard. Now I fear that the lovely one, in search of the sun, will grow out, up and dripping down from the one limb that entangles all the power and cable lines lines.

I must buy a chain saw!

Here is a link that might be useful: Leonie
jellybobelly
14 years ago
Congrats on your happy ending! It's fantastic to start the weekend on a great note.
cjc45
14 years ago
Along my former path to work there was a stretch of undeveloped property with trees bordering the road. The utility company came along with what amounted to a giant hedge trimmer and cut away the front half of all the trees. It wasn't lovely but it was interesting to see the trees in cross section.
countrynest
14 years ago
Kate,I'm glad there was a happy ending. Trees and plants
are our babies.
Felix
tropicalfreak
14 years ago
wow!! good for you Kate! :)

Cliff
laura1
14 years ago
Too bad you had to take time off from work but at least the outcome was a good one. Although it isn't like you are letting your tree become a hazard!
I don't think the county cares about over hanging tress in my neighborhood.
In my subdivision most of the powerlines are under ground so that isn't a problem here. But the way trees are planted under power lines...you wonder what they are thinking. Or the guy planning on what to plant hasn't actually seen the sight.
I keep thinking that I should carry my camera at all times so I can take pictures of the insane landscape errors...but I digress.

Good for you Kate.
solstice98
Original Author
14 years ago
Thank you all. I am still feeling good about the outcome.

In this neighborhood it isn't an issue of power lines. Supposedly, it's about school bus clearance. It's a very quiet street with only local residential traffic - the school bus can easily drive down the street without rubbing tree branches, but the company doing the cutting said that two buses have to be able to pass side by side without hitting a branch. Wha??? Apparently they think there is about to be some sort of buses-running-amok incident and are taking action now.

Kate

("tipucide" - wish I had thought to use that with the tree guys! LOL)

Mandatory Tree Trimming - County Code

Comments (9)

KaraLynn

manature

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solstice98
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Mandatory Tree Trimming - County Code

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