Removal of tree

VM put a tree in our front yard that is dying and is really an ugly tree. Can we take it down, and replant another tree elsewhere in our yard (say backyard)? Who would we contact to make sure we don't hit any utility lines for the tree?

 

Several Questions:
Is it a county required street tree or a builder ornamental tree?
If it's a county street tree, is your street off bond?
Before digging any holes in your property, I would recommend you have Miss Utility come out and mark your property. It's free.

 

It is builder ornamental tree in front yard. The trees sat on the side of the road for a coule of weeks before they got planted - it's been a year now and it just looks bad, though it's also not the tree I would have picked. I want to remove it, and let grass grow there. I want to put another tree in our backyard though.

 

If its in the front yard, and it is line with other trees along the street, and is of the same variety, then it is probably a county required tree.

If the street has been turned over to VDOT, that is off bond then removing it should not be much of a problem, as long as the trunk is not 4" in diameter. If the street has not yet been turned over; that is, you haven't seen them come by and tear up a bunch of curbing, and stuff and replace pavement since you've moved in; you may be stuck with the tree, or you can ask VM to replace it.

Again, it helps to know your location, and how long you've been there.


Neil Z.
Resident since 1999

 

It's where we put the flag on our property. We had a choice where to put it. I am not sure if Inglewood is vdot yet, I don't think so...but if the tree is half dead and under 4" wide I really can't believe we would be stuck with it.

 

By 'stuck with it' I meant that if its one of the 'street trees' that is required by the county, until the street is released from bond, the developer will need to keep a tree there.

If its one of those that was added by the builder as part of the landscaping, there's usually not an issue about moving it from the front of the property. We had one that was not a 'street tree', an oak that was obviously dying. We had intended to move it from the location in the front of the house to the side, but it was determined to be diseased, so we just pulled it.

We are still discussing (3 years later) what to replace it with. [:I]

Neil Z.
Resident since 1999