by oldclaypaws » Wed Apr 02, 2014 2:34 pm
The short answer is yes, the tree owner is responsible for clearing it up and the cost of any damage it causes. Its easier if theres a friendly discussion about the logistics of when access is best, and if both parties are interested in using the fallen wood as fuel, there may be informal grounds for each chipping in a portion of the cost and sharing the fuel, although this is purely a more 'civilised' approach rather than anything legal. It may even be that the owner of the tree doesnt want the wood, the person whose property it fell in does, so even though the requirement is on the tree owner, the party with the tree down on their side might be happy to clear it up themselves if they keep all the wood.
A good relationship with neighbours helps immensely, life is so much easier if you make the effort to get on and avoid fallouts. At home I've just cleared a load of undergrowth from my neighbours side to gain access for erecting a new fence after the gales destroyed it, and he was so grateful for the tidying I did and the improvement to the boundary that he volunteered a contribution to the fencing cost, even though he had no obligation to do so. He also changes his cars every two or three years and always offers the old one to me at a bargain price; my last two cars have come from him, although this causes confusion to his friends when they wave at it only to realise someone else is driving it !
