Would you go beyond the 'call of duty'?

[RobRainford]

After reading some of Mr Monkey D's and Hamas posts regarding going beyond the call of duty, reporting trees which arent under their 'control' per se.

 

It got me athinkin'

 

If you saw a tree on a property that you thought was a high risk i.e. ready for doing serious damage because the tree was completely dead or had serious decay issues. Would you just wait for them so sort it out themselves or would you 'cold call' them and tell them about their tree.

 

We know that even a seemingly healthy tree can just drop a limb without warning, but its when trees give us warning signs and they are ignored is what seems to sit in my mind sometimes, being conscientious, seeing a dead tree near someones house i just get voices in my head saying 'i should tell them about that' and 'i wonder if they know, and if they are bothered?'

 

I shouldnt worry really as the trees arent mine, and are usually under a different councils jurisdiction, but thats just me, i guess.

 

Do you see this as a bad practice? As we know our traveller friends do obtain work this way and using scare tactics to get work. As Hama said, knocking on peoples houses and talking all sorts of lingo regarding the tree on their front is dangerous, could gain you lots of mistrust and comments such as 'you just want the work.' Giving a bad image which you never intended to behold.

 

I can honestly say i have, a beech with a number of large fissures up the trunk, and around main unions, which was 10ft away from a house and 15ft from a road. The tree was approx 40ft spread and 70ft high. So its not a small one. I wrote a short message on one of my business cards and popped it through the door as they wouldnt answer the doorbell. Alas, i wasnt expecting a reply, i never got one, that was early june.

 

After all, we are here to care for trees and to keep them safe and risk free to stop solicitors knocking down our doors because we said a tree was safe and a week later it fell over!

 

It opens up a lot of thought processes for me. How about you?

[Mesterh]

I've told people before that their tree needs some work/felling etc because of safety reasons but they have never been interested tbh. I only do this if its next door etc to where I've been working. I would never bother going out of my way or worrying about it as I would waste the rest of my short boring enough as it its life!

 

If they were interested they would have already called someone out when they noticed there tree had no leaves or big dead bits keep dropping off.

 

I dare say if you use enough pressure and persuasive tactics you could get some work out of it, works for plenty of people who seem to make a good living out of it.

 

Maybe I'm just not trying hard enough!

[Paul Jenks]

Points well made Rob. I've done a few in the past. Sometimes you get some work, sometimes someone else gets the work, sometimes you get told to go away. Such is life. I think if you dis-associate yourself from actually touting for the work of removing it it's easier to approach tree owners and do the good citizen bit.

[AA Teccie (Paul)]

Perhaps, if it's a moral dilema you're encountering which I fully understand, you could drop them a line on plain paper, i.e. not a business card, and leave the decision with them.

 

Obvioulsy thop if the following week you saw another contractor working on the tree it would grind somewhat.

 

Dunno, it's a "tricky un!"

 

Cheers..

paul

[skyhuck]

How do you decide which trees are truly dangerous???

 

If you tell some one theirs is and two years later its still standing you will soon have a reputation for not knowing what your talking about or worse still you maybe considered a con-man

[scottythepinetree]

I would say that if it genuinely bothers you, you should tell them. No matter the result you can at least say you tried. You could even suggest they should get a second opinion (and here I would emphasise that they get someone with proper credentials).

[RobRainford]

How do you decide which trees are truly dangerous???

 

If you tell some one theirs is and two years later its still standing you will soon have a reputation for not knowing what your talking about or worse still you maybe considered a con-man

 

You can't tell which ones are dangerous. You can read the symptoms and work out which ones could be. But it would be harder to say which ones definately are. A tree could have a fruiting body which usually means it has to come out in most cases. But it may last for years! An example would be monkey ds beech with meripilus on top o the hill. With some management despite having the same fungus which has condemned so many others alike. It's surviving.

 

From the reputation view, cold calling people and saying that their trees are in need of looking after could give the wrong image too. That you are after easy money.

[skyhuck]

You can't tell which ones are dangerous. You can read the symptoms and work out which ones could be. But it would be harder to say which ones definately are. A tree could have a fruiting body which usually means it has to come out in most cases. But it may last for years! An example would be monkey ds beech with meripilus on top o the hill. With some management despite having the same fungus which has condemned so many others alike. It's surviving.

 

.

 

Yes I am aware of all this, that was kind of my point.

[Stephen Blair]

Rob you are projecting your feelings if someone cold called you. Take their thoughts out of the equation, then think about it again. There is no right or wrong in this one. It is all about your own personal morrals. You are a clever guy that doesnt see black or white, if you did then you would make a great policeman, your moral develpement is that of a defense lawyer, you can see the bigger picture, if you want we can go further and lets say you NEVER said anything, and it fell down and killed someone, should you not be done for man slaughter?

You have no idea how the person behind the door thinks with out meeting them first, you need to have 3-4 diferent methods ready and then adapt to the situation. If it a wee old frail lady, then your heart will probably sink and you will do the tree for nothing out of guilt and kindness, others would see this as a victim and pounce on her with scare tactics, not you.

Have courage in your convictions Rob, go and knock that door, dont be humble. Wear your work clothes, give them a card and say you have a genuine concern for the safety to the public and surrounding targets. If they want to discuss this further dont hesitate to contact yourself and leave it at that. If they come straight out and ask HOW MUCH, then be ready with a price, because this kind of person doesnt beat about the bush, they will decide there and then and dont expect a cuddle.

You must do it for these reasons for peace of mind, if you are secretly wanting this job and you dont get it and someone else does you will be resentfull, so think to yourself WHY you want to knock that door, be honest with yourself genuinly and everything else will be fine mate:thumbup1:

[lyons e]

last year we noticed a 70f pine on new houseing estate. which went up twenty ft and split in two stems the main trunk was split open by four ft and open and closing in the wind. and kids were playing underneath. We got the kids off cordend the area off knock the doors told the house holders what was worng with the tree and to keep the kids off and to contact how ever incharge of the estate. we wasnt looking for the work more the fact kids were at risk. ten minutes after we got cal from the proerty managment company asking who we were ,told them told the situation with the tree and told them to get their own guys in. There reply was take it down immediately and send us the bill and since then we done lots of work for them on different sites . its not al about the money - its about doing the right thing