WSVN — Trees and shrubs. Almost everyone has them, and they can cause irritation when your neighbors’ hang over your property. The question you hear: Who has to cut them, you or your neighbor? When her neighbor’s trees started towering over her home, one woman called Help Me Howard with Patrick Fraser.
In school, we all learned about history. In life, Sharon Hawes made history, twice.
Sharon Hawes: "First female and then the first black female. I was treated well, surprisingly for that time."
The first female and first black female hired as a Broward Sheriff’s Deputy back in 1971.
Sharon Hawes: "Now you have all kinds of women everywhere, and it’s great."
Sharon is now retired, with a recurring problem.
Sharon Hawes: "These trees are so tall, they’re 50 feet in the air, probably tickling God’s feet. I’m sure He doesn’t like it, either."
The trees are behind Sharon’s neighborhood on an old golf course. Three years ago, Sharon solved the problem herself.
Sharon Hawes: "And I realized these trees were leaning on my property, so I had a tree man come out. It cost about a $1,000 to cut these trees back."
Three years later, the trees are again towering over the neighborhood.
Sharon Hawes: "It’s not fair that I should have to pay for their trees."
Sharon can’t afford to pay to have them cut again, and hoped the city or property owner would do it.
Sharon Hawes: "And I just feel like they should not cut them down because they are healthy, I understand, but they should trim them up."
Sharon lives on the edge of Lauderdale Lakes, and the trees are in Tamarac. She says both cities told her they couldn’t do anything, and she couldn’t track down the owners of the corporation that now owns the old golf course.
Sharon Hawes: "I’m worried about if there’s a hurricane, if a tree falls on this house, it will be the complete house that’s gone, not just the back. This is a two-bedroom, two-bath house, and I know that it will destroy the whole house."
Well Howard, everybody’s got shrubs and trees. What if your neighbor’s are hanging over your property?
Howard Finkelstein: "Usually it’s your problem. In other words, if the trees or shrubs are healthy, and the branches hang over your property, if you want them removed, the law says it’s your responsibility to trim not only the limbs, but the roots that cross your property line. Now, if it’s a tree and it’s not healthy, call Code Enforcement. They can require your neighbor to remove the unsafe tree."
I then contacted the person Sharon couldn’t find, Mike Nunziata with the Trails at Central Park, which is developing the old golf course. He solved Sharon’s problem. As part of the development, he said the trees will come down and a wall will be put up behind her neighborhood.
Nunziata said his plan was to get approval to take the trees down as early as next month. If that can’t be done, he said, he will have them trimmed.
Sharon Hawes: "I got Patrick Fraser, thank God, and he did a great job."
Sharon’s fears of the trees falling on her neighborhood will soon be over, making her a happy, surprised Help Me Howard viewer.
Sharon Hawes: "I am, I really am. I never expected that, I really didn’t."
Now, a lot of people ask us why they should have to pay to trim a neighbor’s shrubs and trees hanging over their property. Simply put, it’s the law. Of course you can ask the property owner if they will trim your side when they cut their side. And if you have a nice neighbor, they may do it for you. Can’t hurt to ask. Sharon did, and she got what she wanted.
Got a problem that’s not growing on you? Ready to branch out and get some help? Contact us. We’ll cut through things and uproot your headache for you. With this Help Me Howard, I’m Patrick Fraser, 7News.
CONTACT HELP ME HOWARD:
E-mail: helpmeHoward@wsvn.com
Reporter: Patrick Fraser at pfraser@wsvn.com
Miami-Dade: 305-953-WSVN
Broward: 954-761-WSVN
On Twitter: @helpmehoward7