Tree planted close to the house

[Mick Dempsey]

Ha! 

 

Looks like you could pull it out by hand.

[Gary Prentice]

1 hour ago, caffeinehigh said:

 

Thanks yes I had the idea of just asking them to remove it also. I suggested it to the mortgage broker but he said the bank want the report now so they can be assured no damage has been done. Shame the seller didnt remove it in advance but oh well. 

So the bank needs to know if the property is indicating any signs of subsidence damage?  That's the surveyors job, not an arboriculturists.

 

 

[Squaredy]

3 hours ago, caffeinehigh said:

Sorry yes here is a picture its not great but the best I can do at the moment. Apologies for the poor quality. I'll try get a better one. This picture is also old so the tree is a bit bigger now but you get the idea.

Let's see an up-to-date photo if possible.  Based on the photo we have seen so far it is ludicrous nonsense.  They might as well ask if a nicely cut lawn has damaged the house.  That will dry out the ground more than the tree in the picture!

 

And as Gary Prentice said what are they expecting the arboriculturalist to say?  "Yes the tree looks healthy."  He or she will not comment on damage to the house.

 

Are you sure it wasn't another issue the bank want investigated?  If the surveyor has identified a problem with the house shouldn't a structural engineer produce a report?

[Chris at eden]

Valuation surveyors are extremely risk averse, they are just passing it on as they are not qualified to comment.  Its the right thing to do.  There may also be other trees within influencing distance.  I have seen a few valuation reports recently that a just check lists, they don't ID which trees need looking at, there is just a section that says specialist reports and they tick next to the Arb section. 

 

I did one two weeks ago where the owner had tried to get around it by just felling the tree.  The bank still wanted the report as they are not qualified to say if this is an appropriate course of action.  They also had another 7 trees within influencing distance. 

 

Just get the report and be done with it.  You wont get one for £200 though. As Gary said, mortgage tree reports are predictive, they don't ID existing damage, just the potential for future damage.  You can't really do them if there is existing damage as that would be a subsidence investigation.  

 

Where is the site? 

 

     

[Chris at eden]

2 hours ago, Squaredy said:

Let's see an up-to-date photo if possible.  Based on the photo we have seen so far it is ludicrous nonsense.  They might as well ask if a nicely cut lawn has damaged the house.  That will dry out the ground more than the tree in the picture!

 

 

If the foundations are shallow enough, you can get clay shrinkage subsidence with no vegetation present at all.  The trick is to put proper foundations in. 

[Con]

23 hours ago, caffeinehigh said:

 

 

I think this is due to what looks like an olive tree planted very close to the back 

You say you think it's due to the small olive tree, does it actually identify that tree?

Is there other trees in the vicinity they could be referring to?