Toppled trees in Rosedale Park leaves some homeowners liable for repairs
(CBS DETROIT) - Rosedale Park on Detroit's west side is known for its oak and maple trees, but that beauty is causing an ugly problem for homeowners in the aftermath of Wednesday's ice storm.
Vincent Ford says when he sees a neighbor in need, he's stepping in to give a helping hand.
"Long-time neighbor for over 14 years, I noticed when I came down the street, not only did this tree fall due to the ice storm, we got other issues with trees," Ford said.
Ford saw a toppled tree in his neighbor's front yard, so he took to his toolbox and got to work.
"The weight of the tree, not to mention these trees have outlived their life, so eventually what's gonna happen is, these is maple trees, they're going to actually rot and cause more damage than you see right now," Ford explained.
Throughout Rosedale Park, branches were spotted on the ground. Some of those branches even damaged homes.
"I would be on edge if this tree was on my property in front of my house but anything that's related to the city property, they've done an excellent job coming through pruning them out," Ford said.
The big problem facing impacted residents now is determining whether damages fall on the city or the homeowner.
"If it's on what we call the berm, which is between the sidewalk and the street, that is city responsibility," said City of Detroit general services deputy director Crystal Perkins. "The city will come out and the city will treat that as an emergency situation, and we will take the necessary steps to remove the tree to free your house. However, if the tree is rooted on the land that's closest to your house between the sidewalk and your house, that is the homeowner's responsibility."
Limbs must be cut down to smaller pieces, no longer than four feet and bound at the curb for waste removal.
City officials are also reminding residents to exercise caution when disposing trees, by watching out for powerlines.
If you're not sure if the line is active, contact your utility company for further assistance.
