Neighbour insurance company requesting tree felled

[FBNK]

I realise there is a similar thread in this forum, but I wanted to hear what people thought in a situation where our neighbour's insurance company has 'strongly recommended' that a large tree in our garden is felled due to subsidence to their extension. In this case, roots have been found  below foundation level that come from the same family of tree in our garden. The insurance company is asking that several trees in our area are felled. Our tree had a 50% crown reduction this summer, and we thought this might be enough to satisfy the insurer with a promise of regular pruning (this had unfortunately been neglected for several years before we moved in last year).

 

Do you know how long it would take before the crown reduction would have enough effect that it stops causing damage?

 

Is there any way of satisfying the neighbours insurers without removing the tree?

 

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[neiln]

OP also said the building was on 1.3m deep foundations.  That's deep for what I assume it's a single or two storey  building, very deep.  I wouldn't leap to shoddy building.  Pseudo acacia are a known problem tree, like oak, for causing desiccation, it's not a huge tree but it is close to the building and roots found.  The evidence would seem very strong to me.

[doobin]

1 hour ago, neiln said:

OP said test pits and bore holes had been done to take soil samples and roots found.  While I too would have thought desiccation could extend beyond the roots, when I was in a similar situation and discussing with engineer and arborist, I was told desiccation beyond the roots was minimal.  Legally though, if op kept the tree roots to their own property any remaining desiccation and damage would not be their responsibility.

 

We are talking about a pseudo acacia here.  Not the prettiest of trees, not a native tree and not a long lived tree.  It's not a tree I'd go into bat for.

So there we are, it's not that simple. Put in a root barrier and tell them to whistle Dixie.

[doobin]

1 hour ago, neiln said:

OP also said the building was on 1.3m deep foundations.  That's deep for what I assume it's a single or two storey  building, very deep.  I wouldn't leap to shoddy building.  Pseudo acacia are a known problem tree, like oak, for causing desiccation, it's not a huge tree but it is close to the building and roots found.  The evidence would seem very strong to me.

1.3m is nothing for a footing on clay. I've literally just got back from a footings job in the Havant area, no idea if that's even shrinkable clay. 1.8m deep for a single storey extension. The householder was telling me what a nightmare his single storey lean-to garage was- he dug the external wall to 1.8m deep with a hired in mini. Then the BO turned up, looked at the tree in the back garden and told him he wanted it down to 3.2m! Then told him he wouldn't find anyone to do it, and walked off!

 

Luckily a couple of dads from his sons football team were old school gravediggers, and they got it done.

[Stubby]

On 31/10/2022 at 08:59, GarethM said:

 if it's been crowned several times it's probably 50-60 years.

 

 

I presume you mean a crown reduction rather than made king or queen ? 🙂

Edited November 5, 2022 by Stubby

[GarethM]

Well the insurance company does want off with its head, so you never know 😉

[neiln]

4 hours ago, doobin said:

So there we are, it's not that simple. Put in a root barrier and tell them to whistle Dixie.

OP would need deep pockets for the root barrier, a continuous physical barrier down to the depth, or probably below, the depth roots were found at.

[doobin]

12 hours ago, neiln said:

OP would need deep pockets for the root barrier, a continuous physical barrier down to the depth, or probably below, the depth roots were found at.

Would plastic piling be acceptable? Could just knock it in along his boundary with fairly small kit. 

[neiln]

7 hours ago, doobin said:

Would plastic piling be acceptable? Could just knock it in along his boundary with fairly small kit. 

When my insurance were looking at it, it was concrete piles and a copper mesh.  Don't know the details, just they it was going to involve digging much of the garden up and cost a lot.

[GarethM]

Well the original post said the insurance company for next door wanted several trees in the area removing without any proof etc.

 

As others have said we don't know specifics, distance, how long the extension or tree has been up but one would presume if it's been crowned several times it's probably 50-60 years.

 

My suggestion is pretty amenable, for all we know it could be at the bottom of a 100ft garden and the neighbors extension upto the fence, the insurance see it as a problem and not the owner.

 

If the insurance company wants to be arsey, how much is digging up the garden to trace the roots, document it and then go via lawyers going to cost Vs tree removal?

Edited October 31, 2022 by GarethM

[neiln]

Crown reduction will have an immediate affect upon the water the tree tales up so if subsidence movement was seen this year, a year later, it's not enough.  You could potentially, depending on layout, find other solutions, like root barrier. They will be very much more costly though. I'd strongly suggest you take the tree down.