Tree root issues

Sweets

I'm not quite sure which forum is the best for this, so if it needs moving, that's fine.  

Does anyone know if the council is likely to have any liability for tree roots from their unmaintained trees lifting our patio? We only had it done 3 years ago, spotted cracking last year, but assumed it was due to the water table. This year an entire section of it has lifted and is now a trip hazard. The neighbours have been in contact with them a number of times over the last couple of years about the size of the trees, and a house on the ither side of the trees had to claim on their insurance a few years ago due to it affecting their house. They removed a couple of them at the time, but left the rest to continue to grow. We like the trees generally, but they were maintained when we moved in, but are now massive.

I don't want to spend money or get insurance involved if it's absolutely going to go nowhere. 

Apodemus

The simple answer is "No", they won't have liability.  I'm not sure what sort of maintenance you are expecting, but pruning the tops probably wouldn't affect the roots.  I would also think that you would have difficulty proving that any mature tree's roots had grown so much in just three years that the impending issue shouldn't have been visible when the patio was laid.

Sweets

Thanks, I did think it might be a no go. I did expect regular pruning, as happened in the first 10 years I lived here, to stop the trees and therefore the roots getting quite so big, but I am no Arborist, so it's conceivable I have entirely misunderstood.  There was definitely no sign of the roots breaking through 3 years ago. I would struggle to prove that though I suppose. My neighbour was having issues with them breaking through her patio at that point, but the position that was happening was a fair distance from our garden.