Neighbors and Trees and Legalese: Everything You Need To Know

Trim the overhang? Eat the fruit? What's legal & what's not?

Ever wanted to tame your neighbor’s overhanging tree or shrub but weren’t sure about your rights? Better safe than sorry. In the tree service business, there is a fine line between homeowner happiness and increased liability. Let's face it, a dispute with your neighbors can exhaust a significant amount of peace of mind. This is one reason why hiring the right professional tree service is crucial! In the meantime, Signature Tree Service is hoping this blog article may save you a little time and hassle. With a clear understanding of the law and your environment, you will know where to draw the line with neighbors without drawing in liability. One idea is to print/share this article with your neighbors anonymously so all connected property owners are educated on the facts to promote healthy coexisting, and community peace of mind.

Here Are The Most Frequently Asked Questions on Trees and Neighbors:

Q: In case my neighbor’s tree branches hang over my yard do I have the right to trim them?

A: According to the law you have the right to trim the limbs and branches that go beyond your property line, but understand that you cannot cross to the neighbor’s property and cut or destroy the tree. If this happen you will be liable for its destruction.

Q: Can I eat fruits from my neighbors tree which hangs over my property?

A: This is a definite no! The fruit belongs to your neighbor and you have no right to pick any of the fruits. There is some confusion when it comes to a fallen fruits as the courts seem divided on this issue. 

Q: My neighbor’s tree sheds leaves into my yard when the wind blows, can I file a nuisance claim?

A: Leaves are usually regarded as natural, therefore you do not have good nuisance claim over the matter. It may be disappointing to know that even if they cause damage in your yard you cannot make any legal claims against your neighbor. It is only when the tree is hanging over your property that you are entitled to trimming of the hanging branches.

Q: A large tree hangs its branches over my property but the trunk is located in my neighbor’s, land, can I claim ownership of the tree?

A: The tree is owned by your neighbor, as long as the trunk is in the neighbor’s property he or she has the all the rights .You can only claim co ownership if the tree trunk cut across the property border. In such a case each of you can claim shared responsibility for the tree.

Q: If my neighbor, in the process of digging up in his land, destroyed a tree which was on my side, can I claim compensation for the tree that was destroyed?

A: You have an absolute right to claim compensation for the damages. Your neighbor should have engaged you and received permission before digging near your landscaping.

Q: Where can I get more information on what the laws in Northern California say trees and my neighbor?

A: We found helpful information online at http://answers.uslegal.com/trees/15861/. You may also seek the guidance of a certified arborist to get advice about a specific tree situation and avoid conflicts with your neighbors. Signature Tree Service is happy to help you understand more about the species of tree, its risk and our local laws. Call us anytime to schedule an appointment with Curtis Fosnaugh, Certified Arborist and Tree Risk Assessor at 707-449-8653.

Shopping Local: How Overthinking Can Remove Choice

On A Personal Note...

Signature Tree Service has always prided itself on being a local business. Owner, Curtis Fosnaugh, loves his home turf in the countryside of Northern California. Having grown up here, Curtis has a natural affinity for agriculture and horticulture. From there, came his love of trees.

We've developed over the years due to demand for quality by consumers that Curtis is driven to satisfy. Signature Tree was fortunate that customer satisfaction, referrals and repeat business saw us through The Great Recession. And we’ve added satellite offices and crews to cover areas where we were getting calls but could not service locally before.

Recently, we were not chosen for a job in Sonoma because we are a Vacaville based company, just 35 miles from Sonoma! And, although our marketing agency is based in Sonoma County and we have many local ties to the area (referral networks, friends/followers, Home & Garden Shows, satellite office), our neighbors in this particular scenario felt Signature Tree was too far to be local.

Northern California is our home and we wouldn’t trade it for the world! So let’s talk local…

Local vs. Regional vs. National

You would think that “local” in California is a larger footprint than in, say, tiny Rhode Island, but due to the awareness of buying local among highly conscious Northern Californians, it remains quite small in our area. When consumers here want “local”, they are talking within about 20 miles or less. This is micro-local. Anytime you can shop on a micro-local way, it’s the most effective place to start when shopping local.

The challenge is that micro-local can remove choice. Control over the quality of service/product is reduced when variety and competition are slim. The product or service within 20 miles may not be as high of quality as a “regionally-local” item from the next county over. 

Local job: Root collar exam, Napa. April, 2014

This is why regionally local is a completely acceptable form of shopping local. Regionally-local is the next best thing to micro-local. Some of the revenue and tax dollars will remain in your county, and all state taxes are recycled. Also, the company providing the product/service is likely hiring individuals from your county so local economic development (LED) is happening and strengthening local economy (i.e., our marketing agency being based in Sonoma County).

National companies are the antithesis of “local”. They often talk the talk about having local franchise owners and employees but when it comes down to it, most of the revenue from national companies goes back to their home state. 

One of the ways national companies grab business from smaller local/regional mom & pops is through a strong online presence. National companies have a larger marketing budget, allowing them a strong reach to consumers. And it works! Often, consumers will see 72 reviews and pick up the phone without considering whether the company is local, regional or national.

NorCal Supporting NorCal

Signature Tree Service always appreciates doing business locally. No matter where the job, you will NOT find Curtis frequenting franchise restaurants—ONLY locally owned and operated.

We are proud to be Northern California’s local and regionally-local Certified Arborist and Tree Risk Assessor. We proudly open the doors to quality and local competition that is healthy for our communities, economies, and of course, trees! 

If you have a question or need our help, feel free to call Signature Tree Service at 707-449-8653.

Tree Service: Japanese Maple Trees, Planting & Maintenance

Who doesn't love a beautiful, colorful Japanese Maple Tree? So many of our customers love them, we thought we'd pass along the very basics of planting and maintenance of these little gems.

Care of Japanese Maples can produce beautiful results!

LOCATION: Japanese Maple Trees are very susceptible to full sun. They prefer a nice shady spot, although early morning sun is also suitable.

SEASONALITY: Spring is a vulnerable time for Japanese Maples. New growth is always at the mercy of a late Spring frost. If your tree is small enough, cover it to protect the new growth from frost. Never transplant your Japanese Maple Tree in Spring. Fall is a peak season, displayed by beautiful crimson leaves. The perfect time to transplant the tree, if necessary. Remove dead leaves that cling to branches before heavy frost. To avoid snapped branches in Winter, do not let branches freeze to the ground. If there is a layer of ice on the tree, use extreme caution when brushing snow off the tree top (recommended). The ice means the branches themselves are frozen and vulnerable to breakage. Do not try to remove the ice from the branches!

PLANTING: Mulch about 3" of shredded bark (hard wood) will insulate the trees and prevent water from evaporating. Keep mulch a few inches away from the trunk to allow for air circulation. Japanese Maples are best planted in fall, about 4-6 weeks before the ground freezes. This allows the roots a chance to establish themselves. Sufficient water in this early stage is crucial! (see "WATERING" for guidance)

AVOID:  Planting Japanese Maple Trees near a hot springs area, as this can invite fungal damage, like Botrytis, Pseudomonas and Fusarium. Avoid using fertilizer on these trees, especially salt-based. And, of course, avoid over- and under-watering. As mentioned above, avoid afternoon full sun. 

WATERING: Water extremely well twice per week. Newly planted or container-grown Japanese Maples will need more water, so watering around 4 times per week is needed when the tree is in a more delicate state.

FERTILIZER: Generally, Japanese Maple Trees do not need fertilizer. If you think it may be sick, feed it kelp meal or something similarly rich in trace elements.

MAINTENANCE: Good air circulation, soil drainage and sanitation practices will help prevent many issues with your Japanese Maple Tree.

PRUNING: Late Summer, early Fall is a Japanese Maple's favorite time for pruning. Start at the base of the tree and work from the inside out, cleaning out small twigs growing along the trunk and major branches, dead wood, and crossed/rubbing branches. Stand back and take stock (or should we say "stalk"? :) of your tree's shape. Look at what you may do to improve its form, if anything. IMPORTANT: Before making each cut, study where the branch goes and visualize the tree without it. Cut just above a live bud or just in front of the collar (small ridge where one branch attaches to another).

LEAF TIP BURN: Don't panic! Usually burnt tips are caused from over- or under-watering, an under-developed root system (newly planted) or too much fertilizer (especially salt-based!). Shade and healthy watering practices help. Some results you may have to live with for the rest of the season.

DROPPED LEAVES: By dropping its leaves, the tree is protecting itself and telling you it is not getting enough water. Maples have a secondary set of leaves just for such occasion. So you get a second chance!

If you need our help with a Japanese Maple, or any other type of tree, feel free to call us at (707) 449-8653 or visit SignatureTreeService.com. 

Signature Tree Service is owned by Curtis Fosnaugh, one of Northern California's most reputable Certified Arborists & Certified Tree Risk Assessors. Curtis takes pride in his workmanship from customer care to highest safety standards to immaculate clean-up upon each completed job. Signature Tree Service is proud to hold an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. As a member of the California Arborists Association, The Tree Care Industry Association and the International Society of Arboriculture, Signature Tree Service is committed to the health of trees and their environment.  

TREE SERVICE: 5 QUESTIONS TO REDUCE HOMEOWNER LIABILITY

Signature Tree minimizes liability.

Hiring a quality contractor of any type is almost equal parts faith, luck and reputation. Signature Tree Service tries extremely hard to stand heads above our competitors. We are, above everything else, committed to customer satisfaction. Sound cliche? Maybe. But cliche or not, Curtis (and his fast growing team) doesn't really have time to care about cliches...he's too busy being concerned with more important things, like quality workmanship and employee safety.

How do you know that the tree service company you hire won't have an accident on the job? Since accidents are virtually unpredictable, the best you can do is reduce that chance as much as possible and, if the unfortunate does happen, minimize your liability. We hope these 5 questions will help you do just that.


5 Questions To Ask Any Tree Service Company Before Hiring Them

1. Will you be sending a certified, professional arborist?
A professional arborist has the highest level of training, experience and knowledge available. They tend to do it right the first time. 

2. Are you locally owned and operated?
National companies may be reputable but hiring a locally owned and operated business keeps more of your dollars in our local economies.

3. Are all your employees on payroll? 
The liability is ultimately that of the property owner. It is important that you know who is working on your property, especially in such a dangerous situation. 

4. Can you show proof of that payroll?
If they can't provide proof, enough said.

5. Will you provide proof of Workman's Comp. for every employee on my property?  One word = liability. Do NOT let anyone be climbing ladders, trees, or anything else on your property without seeing proof of Workman's Comp coverage. Any professional tree service company should be proud to show you this!  

 In our industry, "better safe than sorry" is a mantra. When you consider the consequences of an accident on your property...law suits, asset loss, time loss, etc., it's easy to see why. The more you have, the more you have to lose. 

Signature Tree Service can always provide a "yes" to the questions above, minimizing our client's liability and maximizing their satisfaction. If you need our help, feel free to call us at (707) 449-8653 or visit SignatureTreeService.com.

Signature Tree Service Commercial

Curtis and his team show how Signature Tree Service are the right choice when if comes to taking care of your trees. See more at www.signaturetreeservice.com

Signature Tree Service Home Show Demonstration - Vacaville

Signature Tree Service shows us their climbing skills at the Vacaville Total Home and Garden Show. See more at http://www.signaturetreeservice.com

Hire Tree Trimming Service for Effective Shrub Grooming

Shrub experts have unveiled a lot about shrubs and their behaviors in botany books. Grooming is an important activity for shrubs. It keeps them healthy and free from diseases. Due to inadequate nutrition, shrubs fail to resist germinal diseases. It mainly happens when they grow and become large and dense. The dense leaves abstain the interior from adequate sunlight and air. Thus the structures become weak and tend to fall finally. People should save them from these dangerous hazards. However, only experts are able to do the task. A Tree Trimming Service comes into play in this situation. The professionals of a Tree Trimming Service know how to deal with a shrub structure. They agents have profound knowledge on botany science. They know the technique to detect the flaccid branches of a shrub. They test different parts of a shrub on grounds of strength and endurance. As soon as they find any branch not enduring enough, they immediately carry out a removal process.

It is very important to remove the weak branches of a shrub. This is because any weak branch is susceptible to catching the perilous shrub germs. Some of these are bugs, infections and other microscopic parasites that haunt the roots and branches of shrubs. They lessen the growth rate of shrub structures. Shrub experts say that garden owners should check their shrubs from time to time. Regular checking helps one to find out the flaccid and dead branches in a shrub. If anyone finds any debilitated branch, it is advisable to call shrub care agencies for a removal or grooming process.

These agencies treat weak shrubs like patients. Like humans these shrubs also need medicines for their treatment. At times storms and other natural calamities cause holes or ruptures in these shrubs. These holes expose the interior of the shrubs to harmful germs and microbes. These organisms carry the potential to kill the structure in degrees. They gradually decompose the structure and cause it to die. Therefore it is essential to treat these shrubs with disinfectants and fertilizers. These disinfectants are strong chemicals that guard the plants from decomposition. These chemical fertilizers enhance the growth rate of plants. Stump Grinding agencies have highly qualified professional experts who have profound knowledge on shrub medicines. Stump Grinding agencies have certified professionals who boast an authorization to carry out shrub grooming and pruning activities.

People want to own beautiful gardens. However, it is not easy to keep up the beauty of a garden unless one has knowledge on shrub affairs. People who own gardens should contact the plant care agencies to gather adequate knowledge on how to keep gardens evergreen.

People have many wrong ideas about shrub behaviors and mistreat them due to ignorance. Shrub care experts have addressed these issues by writing many articles and blogs on shrub behaviors. In these writing pieces they have explained how one should treat a shrub. They have detailed a lot about the shrub medication and other things essential for maintaining the health of a plant. One can log on to the internet to read these articles in detail.

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