Chic vs. Geek: Trees! Trees! Trees!

Maybe it’s just the holiday season, but we seem to be having a lot of run-ins with trees recently.

CHIC (PEARL)

I’ll start with the fun part: Our Christmas tree hunting excursion to the Los Gatos Summit Tree Farm (see my heroic pose above). Want to cut down your own tree and bring a natural beauty – and scent – to your home? There are plenty of tree farms to choose from nearby.

On the more uncomfortable side was a tree encroachment dispute between neighbors in the townhome complex where we live. One neighbor complained to the HOA board that the branches and roots of a tree on their next door neighbor’s lot were encroaching on their yard. The board ended up hiring a third party arborist to investigate and advise them on how to resolve the dispute. They found that the tree was too large to cut down without a city permit, and more importantly that the backyard tree was not under the purview of the HOA. Kevin was grateful to hear this since he serves on the board! Want more info about encroachment disputes? Check out this article.

GEEK (KEVIN)

Our third close encounter with a tree kind came from a friend of ours who was in the middle of buying a home in Milwaukee. She called one night because she was concerned that some trees on her new property might be sick. The trees were as tall as four-story buildings in some cases and could cause serious damage to houses – and people – if they collapsed due to illness. When she voiced her concerns to the seller and agents, they all denied that the trees were sick. This is a big ticket problem for homebuyers since tree removals can cost upwards of $5,000 depending on size and location. We advised our friend to get a contingency extension and hire an arborist, who diagnosed that the trees were sick and had to be removed. As a result, our friend was able to negotiate with the seller from a stronger position. Remember: Agents and sellers are not qualified to make any determination about tree condition or local law.That includes me and Pearl! Here’s the City of San José tree ordinance, so you can read for yourself.