Who's responsible for trimming sidewalk trees? (Pittsburgh, Duquesne: house, contractor, inspection)

[gladhands]

Is it the city or the homeowner? Someone just trim the tree on the sidewalk in front of my house, I assume it was the city, but they left the branches in my front yard.

[fleetiebelle]

I think it's generally the homeowner's responsibility. In your case it almost sounds like a passive-aggressive neighbor who was tired of ducking branches when they were walking their dog--that's been known to happen.

[tyovan4]

I assume you live in the City of Pittsburgh.
I know that the City does own some trees and maintains them.
Department of Public Works | Forestry Division Responsibilities

There's a link towards the end of that page: TreeKeeper database that should show if the City did maintenance. When I tried to click the link, it didn't work. Perhaps it will work for you.

311 responds to tree complaints - perhaps you could call them and see if they have a record of the City having performed maintenance on the tree in question?

Hope this helps,

[gladhands]

Originally Posted by fleetiebelle

I think it's generally the homeowner's responsibility. In your case it almost sounds like a passive-aggressive neighbor who was tired of ducking branches when they were walking their dog--that's been known to happen.

The branches honestly were't that low. I sometimes have to duck, but I am one or 2 inches shy of freakishly tall. A six-foot man could easily have walked under.

[guy2073]

I was a city tree sidewalk replacement contractor, if it is a city tree the city does all the maintenance, the utility companies can also do tree trimming to clear their lines. If the branches were left there i am guessing a neighbor did it.

[fleetiebelle]

Huh, the tree in my front yard is in that database (https://pittsburgh.mytreekeeper.com/) Does that mean that I am treekeeper, or the city is? It's a locust--I've always thought of it as a giant weed.

[gladhands]

Upon further inspection, the branches were cut from the street side. A paving crew was out yesterday. I have to assume it was them.

[wpipkins2]

Duquesne light will trim the branches away from their utility lines periodically. They provide no advance warning and will leave a mess. Not to mention a lop sided tree.

[Rust Belt Kid]

The Sycamore tree in front of my house was in that database as well, so when I called them to tell them that it needed to be trimmed they sent out a surveyor and told me it's actually my responsibility because it was outside the "right of way".