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This isn’t just a CA insurance law – it’s pretty state-standard all around. Bottom line that even if you send that certified letter, you’re insurance will be covering any damage done by a tree-fall on your property. The only caveat is that you “might” have a claim on the other homeowner as to the cost of removal of said tree. But it’s tough as some insurance co’s require you to hire an independent arborist with a report BEFORE you send the certified letter. Been there, done that.
Thanks for the tip. I had been thinking of sending a letter to protect myself. I think the tree surgeons are going to be busy this year.
I think the 1%ers live on Easy Street so we don’t need to change that name!
I keep looking for Indians on Ottawa and Shoshone. No luck so far. I wonder if that is why it is called Hangtree?Unfortunately they are not liable unless you can prove they knew the tree was not healthy and they ignored it. If you send them a registered letter you can show they were informed of the condition of the tree and if they take no action then your insurance company might go after them for damages. but if no damage is done you are responsible for removing the tree from your property! I learned that the hard way when a neighbors tree fell on my house and did minor damage which my insurance company paid for. They paid to remove the tree but I was told that if no damage had been done to the house they would not pay to remove the tree. My insurance went up for filing a claim. What a system but it is Calif law they follow.
I am not sure how this works, but if a neighbors tree falls onto your property, for what ever reason, are they ultimately liable? The reason for the question is the number of trees that have been killed because of the bark beetle and the inevitable consequences.
Thanks
Wow MileHigh, thanks for the wealth of information! I think you’re right about the water needs of the cedar. There was originally some irrigation in place, but it has been disconnected for the past several years. I will be hooking it back up for the summer months in hopes of jump starting the growth. I was thinking of mixing in some shrubs with the conifers and I like your idea of spirea. I think there is a variety that I’ve seen around the neighborhood with a cascade of white flowers. I will drop by the nurseries next time I am there. I’m interested in the hybrid dogwood you mentioned. The previous owners planted some dogwood (and aspen), but neither made it due to the reasons you state (finicky & snow). Thanks again – great information!
I would venture to say that the streets were simply named with an old Western theme and are not to be taken literally. I don’t think Black Bart lived in the area and I doubt anyone would come all the way up here from the populated cities to find just the right hanging tree…..when there are tens of thousands of trees all across the Sierra Nevada Mountains. I also doubt they ever found gold on “Pay Dirt Court” and I’ve never seen any trace of a moonshine still on Upper or Lower Jug Handle Drive. As for chickens on Murietta’s Roost……maybe 😉
If you want a tall fast-growing screen, you have a bit of a challenge. The incense cedars you have are probably your best bet for a dense screen. They only grow about 4″-6″/yr on rainfall alone, but if you give them plenty of extra water, they can grow at a much faster rate. White pine or sugar pine are obvious native choices, but I don’t like all of the needle debris, and they seem to be more susceptible to beetles during our dry years.
Our soils in Big Trees are very permeable and don’t hold water well at all, which is particularly hard on young plants with shallow root systems during our dry season. So almost anything you plant needs supplemental water for a few years, until it is established. The plus side of the loose soils is that roots can go very deep, given time. So trees like incense cedar will start slowly, but grow faster when they are “adolescents”.
As you may have noticed driving around, there is less variety to the plants up here, because fewer plants (including most CA “natives”) can survive the combination of very dry summers, cold winters, and big snow loads. (Some plants, like lilac, seem to struggle even with extra water–probably because the soil doesn’t warm up for a long enough time in the short summers.) Many plants that could grow up to be nice screens in, say Murphys, or even Arnold, get too cold or get crushed by the snow in Big Trees. (I have lost several dogwoods that way.)
Sierra Nursery in Murphys (Hwy 4 East) has a guy working there who lives in Dorrington and seems to have pretty extensive experience with gardening in the Big Trees area. The new people running the Murphys Nursery (Hwy 4 West) are also very helpful and willing to work with you on Big Trees gardening situations. (I’ve bought dogwood hybrids there that are a cross with the native pacific dogwood, which is very finicky to cultivate otherwise. Those hybrids are more drought and sun tolerant than the East Coast varieties that you see in gardens at lower elevations.)
If you are willing to try a lower screen of shrubs, you might look at various spirea. The tall varieties can easily get 4-6′ high and seem to do well in Big Trees after a year or two of coddling. (Shorter types can be found all around Lake Alpine.) They also recuperate relatively quickly if they get crushed by snow.
Other plants to consider: Aspen will grow fast, but need plenty of water and will not provide a dense screen. (Avoid full sun, but also avoid planting them under high-branched trees that can dump snow and smash them.) Viburnum may work in similar locations (again, if you can keep it away from heavy snow loads).
Good luck!
You can rent a log splitter at Arnold Rents. But be sure it is the type that stands up. The ones that are only horizontal require you to lift each round. The stand up type, allow you to roll the rounds under the splitter. Much better.
We recently had some dead trees cut down, and kept a couple of cords worth of wood. Any advice on renting a splitter (have never done it ourselves) or finding someone to split the wood? It’s fir, so pretty soft.
We had to do the same thing about 20 years ago, and were lucky enough to find a splitter who did it for free while taking 2/3 of the wood. But no one needs wood nowadays!
Does anyone know when the first lot cleaning inspections for improved lots in Snowshoe Springs are scheduled to occur? Thanks, Logs
Flyfishr – thanks for the information. That is a little farther than I wanted to travel, so I think I’ll start in Murphys. I know there are a couple nurseries there and I’ll see what they have to offer.
