General discussion - Mom and Dad Esq.

[ltl/fb]

Originally posted by viet_mom
While it will depend on state/munipality laws, I'd love general thoughts on the legals of tree removal. The houses behind my house (and all others on my street) sit way up higher and many have ridiculously tall/thick trees at the far end of their back yards (abutting our back yards). The trees are always infringing on our side and we cut them back as best we can. This month, a HUGE trunk from the tree on my back neighbor's house crashed down on my property, hitting my fence and some other structures. I'm not looking for $$ to fix anything but the neighbor won't even remove the portions of their tree lying on top of my stuff. I finally just went out and did it myself, borrowing a chain saw and then cutting it up into small pieces to haul away. Strangely, the neighbor saw all this and suggested I (and other lowland neighbors) should foot the cost of removing the highland neighbors's big trees since we lowlanders are the ones who are going to suffer when the big trees fall on us. That doesn't seem right to me. Anyhow, in this area, it would cost me over $1,000 to just remove one of the big trees on my back neighbor's property. Thoughts?

I am an apt/condo girl, and my thoughts are limited to "wow, what total assholes." I hope that is helpful in at least some emotionally supportive kind of way, if not of practical help. ful. osity. Whatever, I realize that was ungrammatical; I haven't eaten today.

[Icky Thump]

Originally posted by Atticus Grinch
ith that, I'd move to another state in protest.

I suggest you look at your state's civil code on tree ownership and write a certified letter telling him every little thing that you observe that's wrong with the uphill trees. If one falls, you've got a good record for negligence.

And good for you for taking up the chainsaw. That's dead sexy.

I would add that the tree has caused damage to your property and is a presents a dangerous condition to property and human life.

I must add that this homeowner shit is a way big PITA. Your weekends are spend shuttling back and forth to home depot 6 times a weekend. Give me a good rent controlled apartment any day.

[viet_mom]

Wow! I can't believe all the responses I got already! Including the hey girlfriend from LTB. (:

Atticus, yes it's funny about people and trees. Another thing that irks me is the choice of trees planted. I'm an avid gardener (more of a landscaper with this property, though) and always find out (more than one source) the ultimate tree height. Usually means buying a variation of a tree or shrub that's been hybridized so ultimate height is almost dwarf compared to the species. Our properties are all postage stamp sized. Yet the trees planted are so big, the hard roots run along the surface of our tiny lawns. Same for front house landscaping - the other day I caught a landscaper installing a Japanese Maple called "Bloodgood" about 12 inches from bay window. The branches will hit it next season!

Funny you think chicks with chain saws are sexy. You must be a fearless guy.

PS, the huge branch of tree that came down on my fence and Vietbabe's playhouse broke at the portion of the branch onto which the owner had affixed some piece of wood for some game. He knew it too. The huge chunk of tree was crashed down right onto the playhouse. I can't believe he watched me struggle to remove it without even lending a hand. To think I stained both sides of my new cedar fence at extra cost. I should give Vietbabe some (bright) paint and tell her to have some fun on the other side of the fence.

[Atticus Grinch]

Originally posted by viet_mom
Another thing that irks me is the choice of trees planted.

2. We're within the natural range of Sequoia sempervirens and here it's used as a landscape tree. There's a nearby house with a garden gate with two juvenile sempervirens flanking it. Looks very quaint now. Within 10 years he'll be cutting a hole in the lower branches to get in, and within 25 the gate will be unusable. I mean, it's a freakin' redwood tree.

And don't even get me started on eucalyptus. Morons.

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally posted by Atticus Grinch
2. We're within the natural range of Sequoia sempervirens and here it's used as a landscape tree. There's a nearby house with a garden gate with two juvenile sempervirens flanking it. Looks very quaint now. Within 10 years he'll be cutting a hole in the lower branches to get in, and within 25 the gate will be unusable. I mean, it's a freakin' redwood tree.

And don't even get me started on eucalyptus. Morons.

I thought you could cut a tunnel through a redwood you could drive a friggin car through? is that just press to get people out to visit?

[Atticus Grinch]

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
I thought you could cut a tunnel through a redwood you could drive a friggin car through? is that just press to get people out to visit?

As the hillbilly said of infant baptism, "Believe in it? Hell, I seen it done." I have personally driven a 2004 Passat wagon through two redwood trees and lived to tell the tale.

This requires a Passat of no particular vintage but a redwood tree of 200+ years. A homeowner with patience and foresight could turn their garden gate into a profitable roadside attraction. However, by that time California real estate will be upwards of $2,000/sq ft and there may be cashflow problems.

[Alex_de_Large]

No 2 son was born last week, so now we finally have butts to put in the seats of the 9-5. The boys are 19 months apart: before the birth we worked very hard to let No. 1 know that the baby who was coming was his baby and that he had to protect and love him.

So far, it's been fine, but I've heard horror stories about older sibs turning on their little brothers/sisters. Any tips or suggestions?

[taxwonk]

Originally posted by Alex_de_Large
No 2 son was born last week, so now we finally have butts to put in the seats of the 9-5. The boys are 19 months apart: before the birth we worked very hard to let No. 1 know that the baby who was coming was his baby and that he had to protect and love him.

So far, it's been fine, but I've heard horror stories about older sibs turning on their little brothers/sisters. Any tips or suggestions?

First off, congratulations. Don't forget to send in the warranty card or register online or you're fucked if he breaks.

Make sure No. 1 is part of taking care of No. 2. He's too little to hold hom other than in his lap, of course, and he can't bathe or change the baby himself, but let him watch the baby get bathed and dressed, etc.

The big key is to treat it as natural that they will interact, while keeping enough vigilance to let No. 1 know when it's time to be a little more gentle.

[Alex_de_Large]

Originally posted by taxwonk
First off, congratulations. Don't forget to send in the warranty card or register online or you're fucked if he breaks.

Make sure No. 1 is part of taking care of No. 2. He's too little to hold hom other than in his lap, of course, and he can't bathe or change the baby himself, but let him watch the baby get bathed and dressed, etc.

The big key is to treat it as natural that they will interact, while keeping enough vigilance to let No. 1 know when it's time to be a little more gentle.

Thank's Wonk. That's been the approach that we've been taking pre-birth. Let' shope that our luck continues...

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally posted by Atticus Grinch
As the hillbilly said of infant baptism, "Believe in it? Hell, I seen it done." I have personally driven a 2004 Passat wagon through two redwood trees and lived to tell the tale.

This requires a Passat of no particular vintage but a redwood tree of 200+ years. A homeowner with patience and foresight could turn their garden gate into a profitable roadside attraction. However, by that time California real estate will be upwards of $2,000/sq ft and there may be cashflow problems.

thank you everyone for listening to this lesson is careful family vacation planning. My midwest ignorance as to the remaining redwood species in North America was taken advantage of by Atticus' follow up, hooking yet another rube into a trip to the bay area to see "trees you can drive through".

Like my family ended up driving up to Muir woods, only to be disappointed by the vast groves of Sequoia sempervirens. No tunnels through them, and if there were they'd be limited to bicycle sized tunnels.

I of course, regret my one chance to have seen Sequoiadendron giganteum. Having wrapped some discovery in Fresno quite early, we realized we were an hour away from some Redwood park and we had 5 hours to kill. A quick decision was made to spend the hours in the bar rather than on the road to see God's handiwork, and maybe drive through a tree.

To this day I regret the decison, and try to make up for it by doing things like going to Muir woods, and being disappointed.

The irony is that my travelling companion and I were cut off by the flight attendant quite early in the flight due to our inebriated status. That is, by spending the 5 hours drinking on the front end we lost 4 hours of drinking on the back end, AND we missed the chance to see the trees.

Atticus and I planned this lesson to reenforce the need for research prior to your family trips.

[patentparanyc]

Originally posted by Alex_de_Large
No 2 son was born last week, so now we finally have butts to put in the seats of the 9-5. The boys are 19 months apart: before the birth we worked very hard to let No. 1 know that the baby who was coming was his baby and that he had to protect and love him.

So far, it's been fine, but I've heard horror stories about older sibs turning on their little brothers/sisters. Any tips or suggestions?

We also have the same issue/predicament. The middle is a 3 year old. He's taken to screaming "babybeeeee!!!!" and excitedly trying to pat her head. We've instilled gentle gentle gentle and now he chants that as he gently pats her head. he also squeals "gearshift!" about her leg and "she's squeaaaking" when she is. The hardest thing to prevent is when he is holding toys he has the impulse to try to "share" uh. she's too little!!!!!

I think the key is to make time for the older one and praise him or her when he or she is gentle and make a big fuss. similar to potty training which is also working. seismic shifting!

make time so they don't feel neglected. good luck!

[Atticus Grinch]

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
thank you everyone for listening to this lesson is careful family vacation planning. My midwest ignorance as to the remaining redwood species in North America was taken advantage of by Atticus' follow up, hooking yet another rube into a trip to the bay area to see "trees you can drive through".

Like my family ended up driving up to Muir woods, only to be disappointed by the vast groves of Sequoia sempervirens. No tunnels through them, and if there were they'd be limited to bicycle sized tunnels.

I of course, regret my one chance to have seen Sequoiadendron giganteum. Having wrapped some discovery in Fresno quite early, we realized we were an hour away from some Redwood park and we had 5 hours to kill. A quick decision was made to spend the hours in the bar rather than on the road to see God's handiwork, and maybe drive through a tree.

To this day I regret the decison, and try to make up for it by doing things like going to Muir woods, and being disappointed.

Wrong species, asshole. All of the famous drive-thrus are sempervirens. The two I've done are in Leggett and Myers Flat. If you went to Muir Woods, you were off by about three and a half hours.

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally posted by Atticus Grinch
Wrong species, asshole. All of the famous drive-thrus are sempervirens. The two I've done are in Leggett and Myers Flat. If you went to Muir Woods, you were off by about three and a half hours.

• "Why not cut a new tunnel tree?" many visitors suggest, when they discover that the Wawona Tree can no longer be driven through.
  
  Times change, however, and actions proper for one generation may not fit the needs and goals of a succeeding generation. Our expectations of national parks have changed immensely during the past half century. When our national parks were young, cutting tunnels through sequoia trees was a way to popularize the parks and gain support for their protection. In those early days, national parks usually were managed to protect individual features rather than to protect the integrity of the complete environment. Today, we realize that our national parks represent some of the last primeval landscapes in America, and our goal in the parks is to allow nature to run its course with as little interference from man as possible.

it sucks they let Californians be in charge of California. my current expectations of a National Park is that I can drive through a tree.

[mommylawyer]

Originally posted by Alex_de_Large
No 2 son was born last week, so now we finally have butts to put in the seats of the 9-5. The boys are 19 months apart: before the birth we worked very hard to let No. 1 know that the baby who was coming was his baby and that he had to protect and love him.

So far, it's been fine, but I've heard horror stories about older sibs turning on their little brothers/sisters. Any tips or suggestions?

Congratualtions! No real aadvice. kiddo #1, took one look at kiddo #2 and declared her to be his baby so no problems...of course now they are 4 and almost 6 and at arguing constantly but so long as no blood is flying, I let them work it out. They have a lifetime relationship to navigate - might as well learn how to do it now. Of course, when they aren't arguing, they are hugging so...

Oh, as soon as I say no advice - make sure You spend one on one time with #1, and well as your wife makes one-on - one time for #1 - even if its something simple like a trip to the park etc... #2 will, by necessacity, get lots of attention - just make sure some gets spread around.

[Alex_de_Large]

Originally posted by mommylawyer
Oh, as soon as I say no advice - make sure You spend one on one time with #1, and well as your wife makes one-on - one time for #1 - even if its something simple like a trip to the park etc... #2 will, by necessacity, get lots of attention - just make sure some gets spread around.

This has been out goal. I try to spend a ton of time with No. 1, which he and I both really enjoy.

So far, so good: No. 1 has taken to No. 1 much like your kids seem to have done...