Backlog Could Keep Homeowners Waiting Almost 2 Yrs. To Get Tree Removed
Posted November 6, 2007 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
On a day in the city when forecasters are warning about gusts raging up to 80 kilometres an hour, many homeowners were outside worrying that they’d soon be appearing in a sequel to Gone with the Wind. Their main concern – the precariously dangling trees that they already feared would fall over.
We’ve brought you several stories over the past few months about wicked weather and homeowners lucky to be alive after rotten branches fell on their cars, their roofs and their backyard patios. In one case last August, a woman was killed by one of the falling branches before she had a chance to react.
Many residents have complained that they’ve called the city asking for the trees to be taken down before the inevitable happened, but no one showed up in time. And now we know why. The city is the victim of a large number of wind storms that struck Toronto during the summer, leaving crews desperately struggling to catch up. But they haven’t been able to and now there’s a huge backlog that could be as long as 18 months.
“We’ve got actually tens of thousands (of trees to attend to),” admits Dennis Kovaski of Toronto Forestry.
Here’s a look at the city bylaw regarding trees and what you can – and can’t – do to them, even if you think they pose a hazard.
Where Are They?
The most important factor in determining if the city can help you is whether the tree is actually on its property or yours. A tree on territory owned by Toronto will be dealt with at taxpayers’ expense. But if you own the land, you pay the bill.
On City Property
- You aren’t allowed to cut down, remove, destroy or injure any part of any tree without written approval.
- You’re prohibited from marking, cutting, breaking, peeling, defacing or burying the roots.
- You can’t attach anything to a tree without written permission – and that includes Christmas lights. Remember, that applies to a city-owned tree only.
- You can’t plant a tree on city property without getting specifics from the Commissioner – and you’ll have to pay for the privilege.
- And any tree that gets taken down has to be replaced, unless you hear otherwise.
On Your Property
You can’t cut down any trees on your own property without a permit, most of which cost about $100. You can be fined if you’re caught. The only exceptions: trees that are dead, terminally diseased or hazardous. But you can prune them.
The law applies to all species of trees that are 30 centimetres (12 inches) or greater measured at 1.4 metres (4 ½ feet) above the ground. How do you measure it? Find out here.
To get attention for a city tree, call (416) 338-TREE (8733), Monday-Friday from 8:30am to 4pm.
