Rldgemont Subdivision Common Ground Tree Removal Policy
This Policy was established by Trustees Marty Hogan, Rob Wetzel, and Cathy Kraus in the fall of 2011 to address the confusion and inconsistencies that have surrounded decisions whether or not to remove dead or dying trees that are on the common ground and may or may not represent a threat to homeowners property; and where the financial responsibilities lay for a tree that has fallen onto a residents property.
Scenario A: The tree is on the resident’s property:
- Tree removal is the resident’s responsibility. Ridgemont will not pay for the removal of any part of the tree.
- If a tree was on the common ground and fell onto the resident’s property, Ridgemont will pay to have the tree removed from the property and moved to the common ground to decompose.
- The resident will have the option to pay the additional cost to have the fallen tree removed from the common ground.
Scenario B: The tree appears to be on Common Ground:
- Resident marks the boundary markers that designate the back line of the resident’s property. These must be marked in a way that can be easily seen by the trustees when they inspect the property.
- One or more trustees will visit the property and will determine if it is on the common ground. If it is not, scenario A described above is in force.
- If the trustees determine that the tree is on the common ground, they will determine if it represents a risk to any homeowners property. For instance, if the tree is 50 feet tall and it is 100 feet away from any house and it can’t do any property damage if it falls, it will be left alone to let nature take its course.
- If the tree is close enough to damage property if it falls, Ridgemont will pay to have enough of the tree removed so that it eliminates the risk of property damage. The portion of the tree that is cut down will be cut up into smaller pieces and left on the common ground to decompose over time.
- The resident has the option to pay to have the rest of the tree trunk cut down and left on the common ground to decompose, and/or the resident has the option to pay to have removed from the common ground any of the tree that was left on the common ground to decompose.
- Ridgemont will only pay to have enough of the tree removed to eliminate any potential property damage. Ridgemont will only pay to have parts of the tree cut into smaller parts and moved to or left on the common ground to decompose.
Scenario C: The tree is on County Property and either falls onto the street, or the Residents property:
- St. Louis County is responsible for the property between the sidewalk and the street. In these instances, it is recommended that the resident contact the county to arrange tree removal. Ridgemont will not be involved.