dangerous yet? Question from the Czech Republic

[Dances With Snails]

Hello all, where to start? I'm looking for advice as to whether a tree in my garden is a present danger.

I'm English, living in the Czech Republic, in a rural area where very few people speak English. I don't yet speak enough Czech to have a complex conversation. Such as one about tree safety pluls local beaurocracy.

OK, we have a big birch in our garden, that started to lean over. It's leaning towards our neighbours house. My own feeling about it is that it has to come down now. But I don't know and accept I could be wrong. I'll insert some pictures and then write the rest.

 

here he is, leaning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And there's our neighbours house that it's leaning towards.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The garden was relandscaped maybe a year or two before I moved in. (I've been here about 4 years myself now). I'm told that the base of the tree grew from the level of the lower lawn here. Then the retaining wall was built around it and the trunk was encased with soil up to about 4 feet - which is the situation that you see here in the photo. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the trunk looks ok at the base.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

but higher up we have this wound

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and this old broken limb in the middle here

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and recent winds blew some small branches down that look a bit rotten - as this one for example.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overall I can see no fruiting bodies anywhere on the tree.

 

OK, back to the situation...

I need the agreement of the local council to get this tree cut down - that's the law here about trees of more than a certain size. But in order to ask them I need first the agreement of the other flat owners in the block. One of these owners doesn't communicate. And of course, I need to do all this in Czech, which is fair enough, unless the tree falls on someone while I'm working on my Czech skills.

If the tree is dangerous NOW then the situation changes. I could simply have it cut down without any one's permission.

I had a tree surgeon come and have a look at it maybe six months ago. He said it would become dangerous but wasn't yet. The problem is that I won't know when it does become dangerous. I would have pointed this out to the tree surgeon, but that was beyond my language skills at the time. So I'm posting this to ask for general advice - for people's views - 

is this tree already dangerous?

If you feel that it is, please post to let me know. If I get a clear message from a few people about this then I'll feel justified in pressing for an immediate felling.

Many thanks in advance.

[Paul Cleaver]

With  that retaining wall being so close to the trunk and 4 ft of soil covering the trunk has well and truly sealed its fate. I would get the tree felled sooner than later. Its a no brainer - seriously

[Rushes]

I Would check that your 3rd party insurance is up to date, that all your neighbours are aware of how dangerous this is, find yourself a translator and get this tree down.

If you do this you will have protected yourself, protected your neighbours and made a few more friends.

 

It will help you integrate with where you live showing that you care

[Mark J]

As above. You can get a letter translated into Czech, online, relatively cheaply. Do that, print out letter and take it round.

[Dances With Snails]

thank you all for your recent answers. I am acting as fast and intensively as possible.

[Dances With Snails]

Hi again and thanks for following this thread. Well i warned relevant neighbours after the last post. (Which was clearly appreciated). And wrote to the tree surgeon (writing is a lot easier than speaking). Reply from the tree surgeon - that the tree is not dangerous at this time, and that he has also checked this with another expert who has the same opinion. Therefor I must make official application to local authority. And so I initiated the process of getting agreement from the limited company that owns part of the building. In theory this could come through at any time. However it's reasonable - based on past experience - to expect no reply.

I was given by a local the name of another arborist in the area. The quesion is whether to go for a second opinion. Was also advised not to, perhaps that it would show lack of faith in the first guy. I can't expect any answers from people here. But if anyone has a thought, please share it. I'm a bit paralyzed at the moment about this.

I guess the exact questions is: when do I ask the second arborist for his opinion on the tree? Should I just cut the faffing and ask right now? (Or should the double checked opinion of the first guy stand as enough?) As I said, if anyone has a thought please share.

 

[nepia]

Get a rope, a nice quiet hand winch and make sure the tree 'falls' the right way at 3am one windy night.  ?

 

Jeez, sounds like you have the worst of bureaucratic cowardice to live with in rural Czech.

[Paul Cleaver]

On ‎07‎/‎04‎/‎2019 at 14:09, Dances With Snails said:

Hello all, where to start? I'm looking for advice as to whether a tree in my garden is a present danger.

I'm English, living in the Czech Republic, in a rural area where very few people speak English. I don't yet speak enough Czech to have a complex conversation. Such as one about tree safety pluls local beaurocracy.

OK, we have a big birch in our garden, that started to lean over. It's leaning towards our neighbours house. My own feeling about it is that it has to come down now. But I don't know and accept I could be wrong. I'll insert some pictures and then write the rest.

 

here he is, leaning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And there's our neighbours house that it's leaning towards.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The garden was relandscaped maybe a year or two before I moved in. (I've been here about 4 years myself now). I'm told that the base of the tree grew from the level of the lower lawn here. Then the retaining wall was built around it and the trunk was encased with soil up to about 4 feet - which is the situation that you see here in the photo. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the trunk looks ok at the base.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

but higher up we have this wound

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and this old broken limb in the middle here

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and recent winds blew some small branches down that look a bit rotten - as this one for example.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overall I can see no fruiting bodies anywhere on the tree.

 

OK, back to the situation...

I need the agreement of the local council to get this tree cut down - that's the law here about trees of more than a certain size. But in order to ask them I need first the agreement of the other flat owners in the block. One of these owners doesn't communicate. And of course, I need to do all this in Czech, which is fair enough, unless the tree falls on someone while I'm working on my Czech skills.

If the tree is dangerous NOW then the situation changes. I could simply have it cut down without any one's permission.

I had a tree surgeon come and have a look at it maybe six months ago. He said it would become dangerous but wasn't yet. The problem is that I won't know when it does become dangerous. I would have pointed this out to the tree surgeon, but that was beyond my language skills at the time. So I'm posting this to ask for general advice - for people's views - 

is this tree already dangerous?

If you feel that it is, please post to let me know. If I get a clear message from a few people about this then I'll feel justified in pressing for an immediate felling.

Many thanks in advance.

The tree roots are currently rotting away. Picture this - all of the roots, large and small, and the trunk covered by the 4ft of soil have been rotting away for 4 yrs. The tree will never survive and recover  - never. While the roots are rotting away, you may find more branches dying off or even the whole tree dies. That's if the stability of the roots last that long. The longer you leave it, the more dangerous it becomes and the more difficult to take down safely. Why wait any longer to fell it. It wants felling now.

[jfc]

I don't think it is imminently dangerous. I am assuming the Czech system is a bit like it being in a conservation area, and will require an application to remove it. It would be same in UK, unless obviously going to fail very soon. Get you application in and wait the result. Would be a simple easy job to remove it, with rope and winch, fell it, chop it up, tidy. Couple of hours work.

[Mark J]

Here you go mate:

 

Original:

"Dear Sirs,

 

I write regarding the birch tree at {insert address}.

The tree has started leaning towards the neighbouring property.  Historical landscape/gardening works have raised the soil level by approximately 1.5metres. This is likely to have led to the roots becoming weakened and unstable.  Birch trees are relatively short lived and do not respond well to pruning.

I would like permission to remove the tree for safety reasons.

I will arrange to plant a young tree to replace it.

 

Kind regards,

 

{Your Name}"
 

a Translated by the bitter half:

"

Váženȳ pane/ paní,

 

píši Vám ohledně břízy, která se nachází na adrese  {insert address}.

Tento strom se začíná naklánět  k sousedckē budově. Zahradnickē práce a ūpravy v minulosti navȳšily ūroveň půdy o zhruba metr a půl. A proto je více mēně pravděpodobnē, že kořeny tēto břízy jsou nestabilní a oslabenē. Bříza jako taková se nedožívá dlouhēho věku a ani prořezání by jí nesvědčilo .

 

Rád bych Vás požádal o Vaše povolení tento strom odstranit z bezpečnostních důvodů.

 

Nahrazení břízy zajistím nasazením mladēho stromu.
 

 

S pozdravem,

 

{Your Name}

"
 

Edited May 6, 2019 by Mark J

[Mark J]

On 05/05/2019 at 08:16, Dances With Snails said:

Hi again and thanks for following this thread. Well i warned relevant neighbours after the last post. (Which was clearly appreciated). And wrote to the tree surgeon (writing is a lot easier than speaking). Reply from the tree surgeon - that the tree is not dangerous at this time, and that he has also checked this with another expert who has the same opinion. Therefor I must make official application to local authority. And so I initiated the process of getting agreement from the limited company that owns part of the building. In theory this could come through at any time. However it's reasonable - based on past experience - to expect no reply.

I was given by a local the name of another arborist in the area. The quesion is whether to go for a second opinion. Was also advised not to, perhaps that it would show lack of faith in the first guy. I can't expect any answers from people here. But if anyone has a thought, please share it. I'm a bit paralyzed at the moment about this.

I guess the exact questions is: when do I ask the second arborist for his opinion on the tree? Should I just cut the faffing and ask right now? (Or should the double checked opinion of the first guy stand as enough?) As I said, if anyone has a thought please share.

 

Here you go mate:

 

Original:

"Dear Sirs,

 

I write regarding the birch tree at {insert address}.

The tree has started leaning towards the neighbouring property.  Historical landscape/gardening works have raised the soil level by approximately 1.5metres. This is likely to have led to the roots becoming weakened and unstable.  Birch trees are relatively short lived and do not respond well to pruning.

I would like permission to remove the tree for safety reasons.

I will arrange to plant a young tree to replace it.

 

Kind regards,

 

{Your Name}"
 

Translated by the bitter half who happens to be a translator:

"

Váženȳ pane/ paní,

 

píši Vám ohledně břízy, která se nachází na adrese  {insert address}.

Tento strom se začíná naklánět  k sousedckē budově. Zahradnickē práce a ūpravy v minulosti navȳšily ūroveň půdy o zhruba metr a půl. A proto je více mēně pravděpodobnē, že kořeny tēto břízy jsou nestabilní a oslabenē. Bříza jako taková se nedožívá dlouhēho věku a ani prořezání by jí nesvědčilo .

 

Rád bych Vás požádal o Vaše povolení tento strom odstranit z bezpečnostních důvodů.

 

Nahrazení břízy zajistím nasazením mladēho stromu.
 

 

S pozdravem,

 

{Your Name}

"