Advise on tree reports

[jjll]

Hi,

If any one can help me with this, it would be much appreciated.

 

I have a customer who has asked to carry out some tree work,then wanted a written letter, (im guessing a report) to say that another tree(beech) on site isnt dangerous and is in good health. They are elderly and have been worried because of high winds.

What is the best way to deal with this as i have already said i cannot provide a legal report because of not having the quals and insurance, but can say what i think personally.

The customer still wanted it written to them.

How can i word a letter that wont leave me liable?

Also i have said that if they were really conserned to get a full tree report done.

Just wandering what the best way to takle it is.

 

Cheers,

I did find this at the base:

[treeseer]

so write a proposal for full inspection, by the hour, then do it, then write results. if you do not say what you do not know you should be fine.

ISA CEU Risk.pdf

[ScottF]

Hi Mate. Anything you commit to paper will "leave you liable" unless you heavily caveat your report. The trouble with endless caveats in reports (which I see all the time) is that they absolve the writer from any responsibility, while giving the client very little expert advice to go on.

 

You also need to consider whether you carry sufficient professional indemnity insurance. £500,000 is the AA's minimum for registered consultants, £1,000,000 is better.

 

From the sounds of things you might be best of offering an informal (verbal) opinion of what needs doing, as you probably do all the time. If the client wants something in writing, for example for insurance purposes, you might be better either getting in a consultant or a colleague who carries the required indemnity insurance.

 

As for the image, I really couldn't say from that shot. If you have any clearer images, as well as possibly pictures of the entire tree, I'm sure you'll get plenty of advice if you post them here. Best of luck.

[treequip]

Hi,

If any one can help me with this, it would be much appreciated.

 

I have a customer who has asked to carry out some tree work,then wanted a written letter, (im guessing a report) to say that another tree(beech) on site isnt dangerous and is in good health. They are elderly and have been worried because of high winds.

What is the best way to deal with this as i have already said i cannot provide a legal report because of not having the quals and insurance, but can say what i think personally.

The customer still wanted it written to them.

How can i word a letter that wont leave me liable?

Also i have said that if they were really conserned to get a full tree report done.

Just wandering what the best way to takle it is.

 

Cheers,

I did find this at the base:

 

 

 

You can’t write anything and "not be liable", if your client places reliance on your opinion you are liable if your advice is wrong.

 

Its consultancy work, pass it on to a consultant, make sure they know where the referral came from and know to return the favour

[jjll]

Thanks for the replies,

My thought of doing a report was what Scott says. I think it was more for piece of mind for the customer so will stick with the verbal opinion as I'm not insured to provide information in this way. If they require more than this will refer them to someone who can.

Just for future reference, if in the future I wanted include tree reports into my work, what is the best way to go about becoming a consultant? Apart from the prof indemnity insurance.

Quals etc..... ??...

[treeseer]

if in the future I wanted include tree reports into my work, what is the best way to go about becoming a consultant? Apart from the prof indemnity insurance.

Quals etc..... ??...

 

Experience.

 

Practice.

 

re the pic, as an arborist you should be paid for time spent digging out all that dirt on the trunk. then you can see what the fungus is about.

 

Scope: Trees with fill contacting the trunk.

 

D-2 Objective: Avoid damage to the tree from the effects of fill on the trunk.

 

D- 3 Specifications:

 

1. Rake any coarse woody debris or fresh mulch away from the root collar area.

2. Press the blade of a shovel or a trowel against the trunk. Slide it carefully downward until resistance is met.

3. Push the handle toward the trunk, moving the blade away from the trunk.

4. Remove individual adventitious roots <1 cm and stem-girdling roots <1/10 trunk diameter. Manage larger roots per ANSI A300 (Part 8), 83.4 and 84.4. Avoid contact between the trunk and any remaining adventitious, girdling, and circling roots.

5. Lift the material away from the trunk and place it in a temporary staging area.

6. Separate and dispose of any infertile soil and debris. Retain the fertile soil, fine roots, mycorrhizae, and decomposed mulch.

7. Repeat until trunk and flare are clear, out to the root collar, where buttress roots divide. Use smaller hand tools, or compressed water or air, to complete the excavation. Commence the RCX (root collar examination).

8. Consider replanting the tree, if the flare is over 2” (5 cm) below grade and the tree has been in the ground for less than 5 years.

9. Remove soil and fine roots outside of the root collar to make a gradual slope.

10. Consider installing a device to control erosion.

11. Apply 2-4” (5-10 cm) of mulch over the root collar. Avoid mulch contact with the flare.

12. Remove the fine roots, fertile soil, mycorrhizae and decomposed mulch from the staging area. Incorporate the material into the outer rootzone.

13. Specify that future management will keep the flare visible.

[JonnyVine]

Thanks for the replies,

My thought of doing a report was what Scott says. I think it was more for piece of mind for the customer so will stick with the verbal opinion as I'm not insured to provide information in this way. If they require more than this will refer them to someone who can.

Just for future reference, if in the future I wanted include tree reports into my work, what is the best way to go about becoming a consultant? Apart from the prof indemnity insurance.

Quals etc..... ??...

 

Di the PTI course!

[Paul Cleaver]

Thanks for the replies,

My thought of doing a report was what Scott says. I think it was more for piece of mind for the customer so will stick with the verbal opinion as I'm not insured to provide information in this way. If they require more than this will refer them to someone who can.

Just for future reference, if in the future I wanted include tree reports into my work, what is the best way to go about becoming a consultant? Apart from the prof indemnity insurance.

Quals etc..... ??...

 

Even a verbal opinion can hold up in a court of law, if it all goes tits up -BE CAREFUL

[HCR]

Di the PTI course!

 

Ditto. £4-500 (or thereabouts) and 3 days of your life. Well worth it.

 

I would never say things like 'this tree is safe' or 'this tree will not fall over' in a report, any more than a doctor would say 'this person will not die'.

 

No significant defects were discovered, reinspect in 5 years is about as close as I'd go.

[Able Fella]

I'm in a similar situation, I only give the client my opinion going on experience, I wouldn't write a report for the simple fact I'm not qualified to do this and to be honest could mis-diagnose a trees health , if the client does require this for their records I would pass the job on to someone qualified, that's what their paid to do.