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We live in a neighborhood in South Durham. Our house backs up to the woods with a 50ft buffer. We don't know who owns the land behind us and have lived their 12 years. Yesterday, trees started to be knocked down behind our house and 2 others. Our neighbor called City of Durham and they had no building permits for the land and had no idea what was happening.
Does anyone know how you would find out? We can't walk out there to ask as the trees are falling left and right and there is a bunch of machinery. There are no signs on the road to the entrance where they drove in to clear the land. My neighbor thinks that maybe they are clearing the land for the timber (which is really sad).
Thanks for your help-we are dumbfounded as to what it could be.
You can use the Spatial Data Explorer on Durham County's website to look up ownership info for the property and maybe it's someone you can call. However, if it is being sold for timber, there's nothing really wrong with that as there aren't too many ways to make money on land without developing it. Most likely trees were cut for your home too.
I would just try to catch one of the workers and ask him if possible. It may just be timber or maybe they're clearing it in prep for trying to sell it to a developer. You can look up the owner of the property like Sherifftruman said, but I doubt they're going to appreciate you calling. Are they cutting trees in the buffer? It might be worth your while to look at the GIS/plat data and make sure they're not overstepping where they are allowed to cut. It does happen.
Where is the 50ft buffer stipulated? It could be possible that there's no legal documentation of such a buffer existing and the owner can cut right up to their property line.
Called the planning office and they were investigating...
There is a buffer as the trees have been tagged with pink and the land buffering is owned by the nieghborhood when it was developed. Our lot went so far and then the land was part of the development and not owned by the other land owner and it is clearly delinated on the Durham County map plotting (but thanks for the concern...)
Definitely confirm they are not messing with the buffer. Sounds like it is not their land anyway, so hopefully they are smart enough to have accurate surveys done. I'm sure the City/County of Durham people will double check as they are pretty strict on that kind of stuff.
Bo - I wonder if you're referring to the other thread about a clearing near Crabtree?
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