PelhamToday received the following letter from a homeowner about trees on his property:
We have three trees on our front lawn near the street. The biggest tree has been there for 60-plus years. The other two are relatively recent. One was planted by the Town the year we moved in. It replaced a dead tree removed by the Town. Another tree was planted by the Town in the early 1990s for the same reason. All three trees are in need of trimming to remove low branches.
The Town arborist was in front of our house, looking at a different problem and I asked if the trees could be trimmed. He directed me to the Town's online web page called Spot it Share it. I filled out the requisite form and waited.
The first response was that it was the electricity company's problem because I mentioned that one tree was interfering with the power line from the road. The second request was eventually addressed by the arborist. He arrived and checked the property line. He suggested that two of the three trees were not the Town's trees, they were ours, but he would check with his supervisor. I posted a third request for clarification but none has been forwarded to date.
A couple of years ago I had to have the main water shut-off replaced in our house. I called the Town to arrange a shut-off time and I hired a plumber to replace the valve. The Town arrived, did the shut-off on the front lawn, and they also replaced the old valve control while they were at it.
This was on Town property. The shut-off they replaced is closer to the house than the trees in question. Based on this I would like the Town to show up and trim the three trees that are on Town property.
Failing that, I would like clarification on the ownership of two of the trees. If they are now my trees, I will have them removed because I never asked for them in the first place.
Jim Pitt
Fonthill
