Why do I need to pay for landscape outside my property?

[miamicuse]

I just bought a house that was vacant for months, after hurrican Wilma came through three large black olive trees in front of the house were damaged.

I called the tree company out and they said two of them need heavy pruning, and because it was never properly pruned there are some rot and termite infestation as well. But they cannot trim it because it's the County's trees. The third one is completely unbalanced and is a hazard waiting to happen, it's leaning and the root is coming up a bit on the other side, bulging the concrete sidewalk.

All three trees are on the side of the County's street and outside of my property line. I was told I am responsible to maintain these trees even though they are not mine technically.

The County told me to trim and prune trees I need a file a permit. Over $100 per tree. Now the tree guy will prune it for $300 a tree, and an additional $600 to haul away the branches. If the unbalanced tree need removal, I have to pay much more...for removal, for stump grinding and for hauling away, and County require a 100% canopy replacement and higher permit fee. This will result in thousands!!!

This is not even on my property! I thought I pay property taxes for things like this!

MC

[Mindful]

Time to seek legal advice. You can also ask on the misc.legal group.

[JoeSpareBedroom]

I'm not clear on exactly WHAT you asked the county. You say they advised you about the need for a permit. But, did you ask THEM who was responsible for maintaining those trees? Or, did the "facts" come from the tree service company?

[Mark Anderson]

I seriously doubt this is true but if somehow there are facts you left out that make it true, I would suggest getting someone to just trim the trees without a permit and be done with it. Unless you live in a county occupied with a large percentage of anal-retentives, no one would ever know or care what you did -- especially if it makes the tree look nicer. I trim trees all the time in my parkway when technically I would need a permit to do so. If I'm too lazy to get a permit I can just call the city to come out and do it for free however you never know if you end up with a tree butcher crew who doesn't know anything about trees and they start hacking away indiscriminately. That's why I just do it myself.

[John Hines]

Look at the guys email addy. MIAMI. Miami-Dade county is one of the most nit-picking counties in the country.

-- If I had something witty to say, this is where I'd say it.

[miamicuse]

I asked them who is responsible for these trees in the swale area outside my property line. They said I am and I also have to mow the grass underneath.

I then asked them there are some dangling broken branches as well as one tree is very badly balanced and the root is kicking up the sidewalk. What should I do? They said I need to trim it or remove it. They then said I can only trim up to 25%.

If I want to remove it a permit need to be applied for, and it will be $140 per tree for the permit, plus the cost to the tree company to trim it, and a lot more to haul the trimmings away.

MC

[miamicuse]

They are indeed.