neighbor's tree on my power line. who's responsible?
 

The tree in my neighbors back yard has a large branch that is now resting on the feed line coming to my house. The limb isn't broken and it wasn't like this in the summer. Seems that the cold weather has caused the line to lose a lot of slack and now it's resting(touching) up under the limb. It's been a little scary with all the wind we've been having so yesterday i called PECO(my electric supplier). they told me they'd send someone in 3-5 days to look at the problem. Today they left a green hang tag on my garage door saying "sorry we missed you," i've been off all week and home. they won't touch it unless it's their primary line at the top of the pole, not the line going to my house. Is it my problem since it's my feed line? or is it their problem since it's their tree and over their property?

I think it's their responsibility, but if you give them written notice and they don't do anything about it, you could cut it down yourself.

I think it's the neighbor's responsibility because it's their tree. Someone needs to take out that one limb.

The electrical company is responsible up to the meter on your house

+1 electric company. They're responsible for keeping the lines clear.

i though this originally but they came out and left a note with these 2 boxes checked.

1. PECO Energy Company LINES ARE CLEAR. We do not prune for telephone or cable tv.

2. PECO Energy Company does not trim or remove trees around wires coming into your home. If you want to remove a tree please call our customer service phone number at 1-800-494-4000 to schedule free week-day wire disconnect for your tree contractor.

lame

Technically, you can get it cut since it's over your property, but I'd make your neighbor do it since it's his tree and infringing your property.

1st kick your neighbor's ass for it being his tree......

then go kick teh power company's ass, the tell them to get there bitch ass out there and disconnect it so you can get all manly with tha chainsaw! :bigtu:

oh and leave you neighbor's yard a wreck....

it's not over my property, the branch doesn't go over my property and the point of contact is over their property.

now since the general concensus is that it's my neighbor's problem since peco isn't going to help me, what do i do? I don't know these people very well and i hardly ever see them. Do i go over knock on their door and saying something really eloquent like "git yer fuckin tree off my line?" send them a letter?

or do i just deal with it myself? i'd get up there and try not to die but i need a friend to help and i'd really rather wait till spring since it's like 23 degrees outside. plus it's their tree in their yard and i don't exactly have permission to do this.

got a shotgun? I bet you could take out the limb...

lol, i do, but i'm not sure that's the best course of action

Go talk to your neighbor and explain the situation. If it were my tree and I wanted to keep it, I'd want an arborist to remove the limb. I personally wouldn't let you climb my tree with a chainsaw and cut the limb off. I'd be worried you'd fall off, break your back and then sue me.

Maybe offer to split the cost of having someone trim the tree.

I'd talk to the neighbor. It's his tree and over his property. He can either take it down now while it is cheap or take what's left down, plus pay for the damages when it rips the wires down from your house or the pole. He may not even know that it is an issue. Also, if you take the power company up on their offer of a free disconnect, the two of you could knock it out pretty easy. 23* is prime for firewood cutting, actually about perfect as it is cold enough to be able to wear some protective clothes and not sweat. I've got kevlar chaps that are great for safety but hot when it is warm out.

sounds reasonable. i'm wondering how the "free disconnect" works. is that something they have to do on site? because i'm not exactly a tree contractor, i'm not sure they'll let me do it myself. if they would turn it off for me i could get it done pretty quick.

deep down, you know it is.

nevermind

I think they would disconnect it for you, it's probably not a matter of who's doing it so much as that it's getting done. Definitely go knock on there door with something like "the electric company wants me to clear the lines coming to my house, I don't mind doing it but it's your tree and on your property, mind if I hop up there with a chainsaw or would you rather take care of it another way?" Shouldn't be too much of an issue.

perfect way of putting it.

assless?

Good choice, that's what I use to remove gypsy moth nests.