Politics & Government

Poll: Should Laurel Require Property Owners To Remove Dead Trees?

Laurel Council set to vote on bill requiring property owners to remove dead and dying trees.

Damaging thunderstorms that pummeled the region late last month have  left City of Laurel leaders with the question of who should be obligated to remove dead or dying trees from private property -- the owners or the city -- and who should pay for it.

Trees and branches that toppled onto power lines during last month's storms were a major cause of widespread power outages. The city now wants threatening trees removed before the next storms hit.

The Laurel Council will vote on a proposal Monday which would give property owners 30 days to remove dead or dying trees from their property. The law gives the city authority to remove debris from a property and back charge the owner if the owner does not take action within 75 days, according to The Gazette, which reports that tree removal can cost anywhere from $3,000 to $4,000.

Find out what's happening in Laurelwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Should property owners remove dead trees as a precaution to damage caused by storms? Should the city have the right to remove trees from private property? Let us know in the comment section and the poll.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here