Dealing with a tree Nazi

[Day off?]

A few years ago I installed a landscape for a good friend of mine. I have been taking care of it since then. The whole concept of this landscape was to look natural and eliminate the need for constant trimming. (proper maintenance) The only thing that I didn't install is the low grade Laurel Oaks next to the road. The Oaks are only 14' tall. Due to the HOA I was forced to butcher and elevate the trees by 10'. About a month later my friend gets another letter stating "The Oaks have been trimmed but the canopy is too wide". This letter however, was a hand written note from the president of the HOA... Not official. Today I met with the jerk to see what he wants done. Immediately he starts yelling and insulting me. Attached is a pic of his illegally trimmed tree. Since he was such a dick I was going to report him to the county. I was just curious if he has to be caught in the act of topping an Oak to get in trouble?

[White Gardens]

I hate to say it, but you dropped the ball when installing the landscape and not contacting the HOA for the guidelines.

The president has every right to be mad.

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[Kiril]

Am I missing something? What is the point of a street tree if you are going to maintain it like a formal shrub?
That has got to be one of the most idiotic things I have ever seen done to a street tree.

[Day off?]

Originally Posted by White Gardens

I hate to say it, but you dropped the ball when installing the landscape and not contacting the HOA for the guidelines.

The president has every right to be mad.

...

This has nothing to do with the landscape. The landscape is a few years old and it was approved by the HOA. He is trying to force the residents to do improper and illegal trimming on the Oaks. You can't trim an oak into a mushroom shape like a ligustrum... It's illegal and terrible for the tree! Therefore, he has no right to be mad. He is the one breaking the rules!

[Ric]

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Day off

While White Garden offers some realistic advice, like you I am not sure the HOA is being reasonable. BUT IT IS THEIR SAND BOX.

Transplanted Yankee think everything in Florida should look like their image of Disney World or a Child's story book tree. Oaks trimmed like lollipops sure don't offer a lot of shady and are not that uncommon in Newer Florida landscapes. They offer no GREEN effect of shading a house from the sun and reducing the electric bill. Most Home owner who plant Oak trees want that shady of a tall and wide tree.



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[White Gardens]

Originally Posted by Day off?

This has nothing to do with the landscape. The landscape is a few years old and it was approved by the HOA. He is trying to force the residents to do improper and illegal trimming on the Oaks. You can't trim an oak into a mushroom shape like a ligustrum... It's illegal and terrible for the tree! Therefore, he has no right to be mad. He is the one breaking the rules!

Then you need to go to a board meeting then and talk to all the members on the board.

Ultimately you need to figure out if the HOA as a whole hates it or just the president.

At that point, offer recommendations on correcting the growth on that tree with a severe pruning..

If they don't care, walk away.

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[White Gardens]

Originally Posted by Ric

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Day off

While White Garden offers some realistic advice, like you I am not sure the HOA is being reasonable. BUT IT IS THEIR SAND BOX.

Transplanted Yankee think everything in Florida should look like their image of Disney World or a Child's story book tree.
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Every now and then I run into customers requesting odd trimmings on trees. 9 times out of 10 it's an ornamental tree up to 25'. I tell them to thin it and just let it max out in size and let it have a natural shape.

They just don't get it, then the tree, which is so close to maturity, is addicted to hedge style trimming with all the new spindly growth each year.

[4 seasons lawn&land]

isnt it alot easier to just not call these people back?

[Ric]

Originally Posted by White Gardens

Every now and then I run into customers requesting odd trimmings on trees. 9 times out of 10 it's an ornamental tree up to 25'. I tell them to thin it and just let it max out in size and let it have a natural shape.

They just don't get it, then the tree, which is so close to maturity, is addicted to hedge style trimming with all the new spindly growth each year.

White

The Lollipop trim is rather Common here in my area not that I agree with it. But some how there are more trees planted right below power line than common sense would dictate. I personally like Hard wood trees to palm trees. But this is Florida and every transplanted Yankee insists on Palm trees and Citrus trees which they let the fruit lay on the ground for the rats.

Let us not forget the Swimming pools that gets used every other X mas when the Grand Kids come. Nor the power Boat that like the Citrus trees is rusting away on the 20K power lift at the Sea wall. It is just great to be able to throw away money in order to keep up with the Jones.


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[Day off?]

You guys are getting this all wrong... My customer/friend's trees are up to code and within the guidelines of the HOA. The president was leaving threatening letters for no reason. THE LETTERS WERE NOT OFFICIAL HOA LETTERS. Since the president was such a dick... I was going to report him to the county for illegally topping an Oak (the pic above) and wanted to know the exact laws before reporting him. However, I recently found out the president has a personal beef with my customer. Apparently he is a fall down drunk. 2 years ago the guy came home drunk and hit my customers car. He ended up going to jail, lost his license and job. He blames my customers for this. He has been the HOA president for only a month and has been abusing his power to harass my customer. Thank you all for the input but it looks like I'm staying out of this battle.