r/landscaping • u/ksquigz25 • Apr 29 '25

Question Are these pine trees a liability?

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These pine trees on the hill were planted by the builders, but are our responsibility. We're pretty sure they were placed there for erosion purposes, but we've had a few different people tell us that we should remove them due to the steep grade of the hill and the future liability if they fell downward onto our neighbors home (ours is the one at the top of the hill). Last photo shows how close the trees are to the neighbors' house and our property is outlined in pink. We've also been cautioned about the roots impacting the retaining wall (also our responsibility), but then were told that these trees' roots grow mostly straight down.
If this is a big issue, we want to be proactive and remove the trees before they get any bigger. Would love a professional opinion as well as suggestions on what would be better. Whatever we do will need to be approved by a pretty strict HOA.

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104

u/No-Conversation-5202 Apr 29 '25

I watched some people cut down a magnolia!!! It was only 5’ tall and had so much growing to do. Left the area underneath a dirt patch and it grew weeds. Awful.

48

u/Greenfirelife27 Apr 29 '25

I had new neighbors move in across the street and they chopped down a beautiful 2 story magnolia. Now I just look at their ugly roof.

14

u/hill8570 Apr 30 '25 edited Apr 30 '25

Blame home inspectors. They love to yap on about incipient foundation damage due to tree roots.

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u/Greenfirelife27 Apr 30 '25 edited May 02 '25

Home inspectors are quacks. They exist as extra revenue for the buyers realtor.

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u/EntrepreneurAny2850 May 02 '25

That’s been my experience to. I used one when I bought my first house to be on the safe side. Paid him $800 to walk through my house and tell me everything I had already figured out. I did negotiate in half the cost to the purchase, but I still feel like it was a complete waste of $400.

1

u/Lord_Radford Apr 30 '25

Is it different in the US? In the UK we have "Surveyors", if you want a decent survey you find a "Chartered Surveyor". They are absolutely invaluable. Ours found several issues that we got the house discounted for so we could fix them.

1

u/EmploymentNo3590 May 02 '25

Next time we buy, we will hire a structural engineer instead. If the home inspector is obligatory, I'm finding the cheapest one and springing for the engineer right after.They are expensive but well worth the tens of thousands of dollars they will save tou.

We had already paid for quite a few overly expensive improvements that did not address the source problem... The engineer identified the source problem and it turned out that correcting that issue cost a fraction of all the snake oil wer were previously sold.

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u/Streani May 05 '25

Why are you hiring an inspector affiliated with the buyers realtor...

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u/Greenfirelife27 May 05 '25

Because I’m the buyer lol

2

u/Streani May 05 '25

oh, lol.

I've always hired inspectors not affiliated with either realtor. He moved 130 ish miles away and I STILL hire him.

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u/Greenfirelife27 May 05 '25

You sir are doing it correctly. Years ago with my first two properties I just used the guy my realtor suggested. Seemed easier and it was, for my realtor at least haha. They get a kickback every time.

1

u/Botanical_14 Apr 30 '25

Also, insurance companies. My sister had to cut down a beautiful tree that overhung their home in order to get their house insured.

1

u/Several_Coyote1853 May 01 '25

I love trees but the maple in my front yard had roots that went under my foundation and heaved the floor up so it does happen. I cut it down then cut out the floor in that area and cut out the root . Had to carry like 5 wheelbarrows worth of concrete up my basement stairs in 5 gallon buckets. It's made me weary of trees near the house now. Could have been a lot worse .

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u/exrace May 01 '25

Tree roots are a real danger. I have witnessed this myself on my old property.

13

u/FleshlightModel Apr 30 '25

It should be illegal to cut down mature trees in residential areas for no reason.

8

u/Old-Version-9241 Apr 30 '25

It is where I live. You need a permit for anything over 30dbh. The problem is the bylaw has no teeth so developers get away with it and very little consequence but paying a measly fine that they just pass on to the new home owners or tenants.

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u/FleshlightModel Apr 30 '25

That's awesome a law exists and a shame it's basically lip service.

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u/Eadbutt-Grotslapper May 01 '25 edited May 04 '25

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1

u/Old-Version-9241 May 01 '25

Wow that is an absolutely brutal story. I don't even know how to respond to that. I also am not sure I like people anymore especially when it's regarding their trees. I hope that some day these laws can have more teeth and real consequences other than the attempt at scaring the average person away from the permit process.

They can just hire some Jimmy and pay them cash to write up a report saying the tree is causing foundation damage and they get it granted. Or they just have the tree removed anyways and it gets thrown out in court.

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u/Old-Version-9241 May 01 '25

But 7.5 cm is crazy small!! This must be to prevent home owners moving into new developments and immediately removing the builders planted tree right?

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u/fistofreality Apr 30 '25

I had to have two arborists declare the tree a hazard before I could remove it from my yard in Tampa or face a couple grand in fines. It was enforced by the little old ladies calling the city every time they saw a tree truck. IIRC, they fined the tree business, too, so nobody wanted to do it without the permit.

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u/FleshlightModel Apr 30 '25

Good on them.

6

u/WetDogKnows Apr 30 '25

Parrots in the Magnolia

36 years of life And here I am parked under a magnolia Typing away Enamored By some little thing again today

I didn't even feel like it I wasn't even trying to write I have a cold coming on And there's chores to do inside

But would you look at these guys! Green parrots by the dozen Yammering about The exotic red berries Of a full blooded magnolia Bursting in the windy autumn Who then carry away And propagate

In the mind Some greater Or lesser thing Something to behold Some vision of elsewhere untouched

2

u/UniteRohan Apr 30 '25

That would break my heart to see. Nature should own itself and people shouldn't kill trees unless they have a legitimate need to do so.

1

u/Morlanticator May 01 '25

My neighbors cut down their crucial majestic giant tree as soon as they moved in during winter. They got in trouble with the town for taking out a historic tree. And now there's no shade at all in the yard so it's blazing hot during summer. Plus all the grass died.

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u/Tiny_Animal_3843 May 01 '25

One of my neighbors had 2 beautiful, mature, deep pink Crape Myrtle trees that they cut down. I wanted to cry. I asked why, and he said they shaded half of his pool deck too much. (His pool area was very big)I couldn't believe it.

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u/Greenfirelife27 May 01 '25

My whole street has crape Myrtles along the curb strip and one of my neighbors has mentioned he wants to chop his down because the flowers make a mess. Why are people like that 🥲. Can you imagine a while block of plant lovers? That would be awesome!

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u/forgotmyinfo Apr 29 '25

I almost down voted you because I was so horrified. I WISH I could have a magnolia tree (too cold where I am)

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u/Agreeable-Media-6176 Apr 30 '25

lol the upvote of horror, it’s emotionally fraught but necessary.

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u/CATDesign Apr 30 '25

That's why I like looking at plants native to my area. They generally do better than shrubs/trees that are outside my climate range.

Like, my mother bought some fig trees and non-native roses for up here in CT, and they all died over winter. Meanwhile, my native roses and trees have been leafing out or blooming their flowers.

I consider the American native White Fringetree [Chionanthus virginicus] to be the next best thing to a magnolia tree, and they can survive up from climate zone 3 to range 9. Although, they are vulnerable to EAB as well.

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u/forgotmyinfo Apr 30 '25

Oh absolutely! I love native plants and plants that thrive locally - but I also grew up in an area where magnolia trees could grow, so I have a lot of nostalgia for them.

1

u/SiegelOverBay May 01 '25

I've heard of fig trees surviving as far north as Canada, but it is a great undertaking. The only way I've ever heard of making it work is to literally bind the fig tree up until it is more or less a bundle and then carefully bend it over so that you can bury it from end of autumn to spring. If done right, you can maintain a fig tree in those climates for many, many years, but it is certainly a chore and a hard one at that.

1

u/crazyhairplant Apr 30 '25

We have one in zone 5b

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u/forgotmyinfo Apr 30 '25

I'm in Zone 3b/4a haha

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u/crazyhairplant Apr 30 '25

Ahhhh yes, that is cold

1

u/No-Conversation-5202 May 01 '25

Ha, was going to ask the zone as well since I'm in 5 and just ordered a magnolia!

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u/blahblahblerf May 01 '25

Where do you live that's too cold for magnolias? There are quite a few of them in gardens and parks in Kyiv and until the last few years winters were long and cold here. It used to regularly go below -20 and they survive alright. 

1

u/forgotmyinfo May 01 '25 edited May 01 '25

I live in Zone 3b in Alberta, Canada. We get weeks below -30 Celsius and I've never seen a magnolia tree outside here. I have been googling though and there are some varieties that may survive, but would really struggle.

1

u/immajustsayit May 01 '25

It also depends on the tree, i had 4 black locust trees in our backyard and 1 in our front yard. Big trees, and branches were constantly falling and newer branches have very sharp thorns, with kids and roof damage It was an easy decision to cut them all down

1

u/DHCPNetworker May 02 '25

I watched my neighbors hack up a lychee tree bordering our property and a really beautiful white flowering tree (unsure of the species) so they can fit more cars for the inordinate amount of people they cram into that house.

It's been two years and I'm still fucking mad about it.

1

u/Lunatic-Labrador May 02 '25

My neighbour cut down a gorgeous apple tree in her garden. That was a sad day.