Cherry tree too close to our house

KLB

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Hi all, [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]I wasn't sure which thread to put this in so thought I would start here...[/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif]
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[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]We have lived in our property for 13 years, next door to a school. Directly along the side of our house, ever since we moved in, are 2 trees - one is a cherry which is very very close, literally 1ft away.[/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif]
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[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]I'm obviously worried about movement and each time we've remortgaged the house, the tree has been highlighted in the survey. There hasn't ever been any movement or dodgy cracks but I can't help think it's only a matter of time given how close it is.[/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif]
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[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]In the past, I have asked the headteacher to do something about it, such as regular pruning and she always fobbed me off and never did anything. There is a new headteacher there now so I am hoping they will be more helpful. [/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif]
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[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]What I'm not sure is whether I would be better off just asking for them to cut the tree down - could this cause the roots to die which could then possibly cause movement or would it be the best solution to stop any future problems? Or would yearly pruning control the root growth and be all that is necessary?[/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif]
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[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]I'm also not sure who's responsibility this is. If regular pruning was agreed on, would I have to pay? If the house suffered movement, could I claim for damages, given that I had asked them to do something about it in the past? [/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif]
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[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]I'm also worried that I'll ask them to prune it, but the council contractors will just cut it down without any thought of the consequences. [/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif]
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[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]We don't have a lot of money and I can't afford tree experts or whoever to investigate. [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Any advice? We want to move this year and at the moment I am thinking of just selling before any problems arise but I wonder if it will affect the sale. [/FONT]

Leif

I would be very concerned with a cherry that close, though it depends on what it is. A dwarf is not the same as the wild ones that grow 50 feet and more. Could you not offer to remove it yourself, and pay for a couple of new trees of their choosing that they can plant well away from your house? Given how concerned you are, surely you can spare £50 or even £100 for trees for them, as a bribe.

KLB

Yeh I can afford that and would be happy to do it, but only if removing the cherry tree wouldn't cause problems under the house with the roots dying, I've heard that can happen.

Somone local said that the area we live in used to be marshland so there could be plenty of water very low down which would be good for the tree. Don't know if that makes a difference.

If I did get an expert in, who would that be? a tree surgeon? arborist?

annie123

1ft from your house seems odd, is your home literary the boundary? or is there a fence or wall too?

It didn't cause a problem when you bought it, so it may not be a problem when you sell.
You say it has been high lighted, did they just note a tree close to the house? or suggest further investigation? I've seen al sorts of surveys over the years and without knowing what they said it's difficult to advise.

Ornamental cherries have shallow roots and the most common problem I've seen is very old ones causing paths to lift.

An arborist's report will give you detailed info including how to remove it safely, which for larger trees usually can be done in 2-3 stages to allow root shrink and settlement. But you would need to get the schools permission to get one done as it's not on your property.

You could have a lot more trouble selling if you just them to remove and it does cause movement! Maybe best left alone;)

KLB

Yes, the wall of our house is the boundary, there's no fence or other wall.

Typical, I've put my old paperwork away and am not sure where. I would need to dig out an old survey to check the actual wording.

I am tempted, as you say, to leave things as they are and hope for the best. I would just hate for movement to happen when I could be doing something now to minimise the likelihood, such as pruning or cutting it down.

tanith

Surely the school is owned by the local council? I'd get in touch with them as in our Borough they are quite hot on problems caused by trees especially in your situation where the tree is likely to affect your home.. If you make it clear in your contact that you are concerned about your foundations they will send along a surveyor to make checks .

My brother and 3 neighbours had subsidence from 3 Willow Trees in the park at the bottom of the garden , it was a long drawn out affair that is still ongoing . The council come and prune those trees regularly now .

fwor

Do you know what type of ground underlies the house? If it's clay then I would be very wary about drastic action such as chopping it down.

It's not uncommon with clay to get heave, where the removal of a tree allows the soil to become more moist, which causes it to expand.

Unfortunately some types of clay expand a lot and some don't, so there's no simple rule to be followed...

KLB

Yes, I'm pretty sure the council would send someone round pretty quick, but I'm worried they would just chop it down without thinking about what it could do to our foundations, rather than actually assess the tree. Aside from that, I quite like the tree, I don't really want it cutting down if it doesn't have to be!

KLB

fwor, I think our ground is clay but how could I find out for sure? Is there some map or something online?

tanith

We are on clay here in London hence the 'Willow Tree' problem. The council will be fully aware of the problems that can be caused by hacking down a tree so don't be afraid to contact them.

annie123

Willows are not good close to any house, they love water and will search for any that it can find including any underground leaking pipes. The tree roots thicken up a lot over the years.

As you're thinking of selling OP you do not want a problem like Taniths family had. Long drawn out anything is not good.

Dig out the old paper work and write to the surveyor (so you get a written response) and ask their advice.
Another point to consider is your buildings insurance, some policies have stipulations about trees within a certain distance so do check yours out.

A cherry tree that close wouldn't bother me at all and it didn't you, nor your surveyor at the time. They look lovely in spring and can be an asset to selling by adding curb appeal.

The other half of our semi's has a 15' sycamore tree 5' from the house. It wasn't even a seedling when I moved here. When it sold 2 years ago I thought they must insist they cut it down, but no, surveyor just noted the distance of the tree and the new owners like it so it's till there, along with the 30' at the bottom of the garden 20' from the house that blocks out the sun in my garden for 4 hours a day:mad: