Maintain Your Trees!

Yasaman has sent me the following email pointing out that regular maintenance of trees on resident’s properties could prevent damage or even injuries.

In light of the severe storms we've been having, I want to point out that owners should be more aware of trees in their properties, specially those that have the potential to fall over their neighbor's yard and cause damage. Even though each person's insurance company would cover damages to the structures, no one wants to be in a position to have to go through the head-aches involved. Also, if the fallen tree does not cause any damages to any structures, the insurance companies will not pay for the removal of the tree. The latter happend to me during the second blizzard this year, where my neighbor's tree fell on my deck, but did not cause major damages. Luckily, I had a very nice neighbor who paid for the entire tree removal from both his and my yard, but not everyone could be nice like him, particularly when you read the county tree laws.

 

Can you please be kind and alert the community of this very important matter.  I really appreciate it. Yasaman

Yasaman touches on one point that I'd like to expand upon.  Because both the winter and summer storms this year have damaged homeowner's trees, I've often been asked who is responsible for the damage if a neighbor's tree falls on my property.  I've asked this question of both the IFA insurance agent and arborists hired to repair or remove damaged trees.  My interpretation of the answers I've received goes something like this:  The instant a tree (or a part of a tree) falls onto your property, that tree becomes your property.  It is no longer your neighbor's property even if it had been before it fell on your property.  I'm not saying that this is the legal interpretation of the situation (although it might be), I'm just saying that all the information I've received from experts is consistent with this view.  Given this interpretation the following conclusions can be drawn:

1. You may dispose of the tree that fell on your property in any way you choose.  Your neighbor who originally owned the tree has no role in this decision.
2. Your insurance company is expected to pay for the repair of any damage caused by the fallen tree -- not your neighbor's insurance company!  The same holds true for the cleanup of the fallen tree.  This makes sense since you are now the owner of that fallen tree, even though you didn't ask for the tree or want it to fall on your property.
3. When a branch from a neighbor's tree overhangs your property, by this interpretation, that branch is yours.  You may trim it as you see fit.  An exception is that if your trimming of the overhanging branch causes damage to the tree, then you are responsible for the damage your actions has caused. If you decide to trim (or cut down) an overhanging branch of your neighbor's tree, please make sure you hire a certified arborist to analyze the consequences that will result from the trimming of the branch and make sure that your actions won't result in damaging the tree and therefore make you responsible for the damage. 

As I said earlier, I'm not a lawyer and so I don't know if the fallen tree is legally yours.  But from everything I've heard from the experts, the rules seem to function as if you owned the fallen tree.  

Perhaps lawyers, insurance people, arborists, or other knowledgeable residents in our community can provide comments since this issue has unfortunately become all to common lately.  Please leave a comment on this blog post or send me an email with your thoughts.

Thanks,

Harvey

Harvey Levine

iftblog@gmail.com

Report Tree Damage!

The Inverness Forest Association is surveying the damage to common area trees that was caused by the storm this past Sunday.  Please send me an email describing any situation that might pose a danger to residents.  Be as specific as possible about the location of the tree.

I will collect all the email I receive from the community and forward them to the people doing the survey.  We are requesting bids from tree companies we've used in the past.

Please send your email reporting tree damage to me at:

iftblog@gmail.com

Thanks,

Harvey

Harvey Levine

IFA Treasurer

More Info on Water Restrictions

Water restrictions are now lifted as of July 6, 2010

WSSC Lifts Mandatory Water Restrictions
Section of 96-inch Pipe is Successfully Replaced
Customers Can Return to Normal Usage

(Laurel, MD, July 6, 2010) General Manager Jerry N. Johnson has announced the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) is lifting the Mandatory Water Use Restrictions, effective immediately. WSSC serves customers in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties.

“Our pipe is back in service. I want to thank our customers who were unavoidably inconvenienced by these water restrictions,” said Johnson. “We made the right decision and took the proper precautions when we decided to immediately repair the pipe. The restrictions were unfortunate, but necessary. We needed to be proactive to prevent what could have been a very serious situation.”

In addition, WSSC continued the restrictions through Tuesday to make certain that the water meets state water quality standards and ensure the health and safety of our customers. WSSC has never had a drinking water violation in 92 years of operation. Tests confirmed this morning that those standards have been met. The pipe was put back in service and now the water use restrictions have been lifted.

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July 2, 2010 - 2:00 PM Update:

Water pressure within the county remains at acceptable levels, however, residents continue to use more water during daylight hours than the system is producing.  For this reason, Montgomery County would like to continue to remind citizens serviced by WSSC to abide by the WSSC Water use restrictions

Repairs will continue around the clock until complete. Until that time it is imperative that all business and residential customers:



·         Stop all outside water use – no watering lawns, no washing cars, no topping off swimming pools

·         Use water only as necessary – i.e., shorter showers and turn off faucets after washing hands

·         Limit flushing toilets (do not flush after every use)

·         Limit using washing machines and dishwashers (wash full loads only)

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In response to yesterday's post about a damaged water pipe that is effecting 1.8 million residents in Montgomery and Price George's county, Inverness Forest resident Robert de Sugny has forwarded the following information from "Alert Montgomery".

The pictures are from a set I took this morning and submitted to the Potomac Almanac for publication.

Mandatory Water Restrictions In Effect for WSSC Customers


For the next few days while the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) repairs a major water main in Montgomery County, water supplies will be reduced by about 30 percent.  There will be enough water for most indoor water uses  However, it is essential that WSSC customers conserve water whenever possible so that fire and rescue services, hospitals and other emergency services will be unaffected. Until the restrictions are lifted, here’s what you need to know:

Outdoor Water Use is Banned

Lawn watering
Homeowner car washing
Filling or topping off private pools
Washing outdoor paved surfaces

Conserve Water Indoors

Use dishwashers and washing machines with full loads only.
Decrease shower time.
Turn off the water while shaving or brushing teeth.
Take this opportunity to check all faucets, pipes and toilets for leaks and repair them.  Leaks can waste 10 percent of a household’s water use.
Install a low-flow shower head if you don’t already have one to save water and energy.


Here are the answers to some questions you might have:


If the problem is in Potomac, why do all customers need to conserve? The 96-inch main is a major transmission main within WSSC’s distribution system. If customers do not conserve, some users could experience a drop in water pressure.


Will the quality of my water be affected? No.  WSSC will continue to supply safe, clean drinking water while repairs are made.

Could this affect fire protection? Yes, if people don’t conserve and water pressure drops.  WSSC is in contact with local fire departments so they can take appropriate measures.


Are swimming pools affected? Yes.  All pools are included in the restrictions; public, private and commercial should not be topping off and should refrain from any non-essential use of water.


Are car washes affected?  Car washes are NOT affected if they recycle their water.


How do I report a violation of the restrictions? In Montgomery County, call 311. Your call will then be referred to the appropriate enforcement agency for follow up. Violators could receive a $500 ticket.


Where can I get more information?

1) Sign up for Alert Montgomery at https://alert.montgomerycountymd.gov   2) Check www.montgomerycountymd.gov  for updates (remember to refresh your browser) or call the WSSC Emergency Call Center at 301-206-4002; Toll free: 1-800-828-6439; TTY:  301-206-8345.

Sent to All users (E-mail accounts) through Alert Montgomery
... powered by the Roam Secure Alert Network
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- You received this message because you are registered on Alert Montgomery or on one of the local municipalities' alerting systems.
- If you are registered on Alert Montgomery you can update your account or authenticate this alert by going to https://alert.montgomerycountymd.gov/myalertlog.php?s_alert_id=5300
- Tell others about Alert Montgomery! Have them sign-up for this free county service at https://alert.montgomerycountymd.gov=

Huge Water Pipe in Danger of Bursting

Board member Elliot Postow has alerted the board to a breaking story.  Elliot says, "There is a big problem with a  96" water main at Tuckerman and Gainsborough.  This is the largest in the WSSC system, the River Rd main was 66".  Elliot has provided a link to the online Washington Post story.  Here is an excerpt:

The WSSC is advising customers to stop all outside water use and to limit flushing toilets and use of washing machines and dishwashers.
The agency issued the restrictions after an inspection found a failing 96-inch water main near the corner of Tuckerman Lane and Gainsborough Road in Potomac. Repairs are underway to ensure that fire departments in Montgomery and Prince George's counties have adequate pressure to fight fires.
The 96-inch concrete pipe -- the biggest in WSSC's system -- was installed in 1969 and was last inspected three years ago, WSSC spokesman Jim Neustadt said. After that inspection, crews left behind fiber-optic equipment to detect the "ping" sounds created when the reinforcing steel wires snap from corrosion after groundwater seeps through the pipe's decaying concrete walls.
It was a relative flurry of "ping" sounds -- one detected Tuesday afternoon and seven more within a half-hour just after midnight Wednesday -- that triggered an alarm warning that the pipe was in danger of bursting, Neustadt said.  

Please follow this advise on water usage (from the Post article) for the next several days so that the fire departments in Montgomery and Price George's Counties will have adequate water pressure to fight fires.

About 1.8 million people in Montgomery and Prince George's counties have been ordered to stop watering their lawns and washing their cars and limit their use of toilets, dishwashers and washing machines through the Fourth of July weekend after officials shut down a huge water main in Potomac on Thursday.

 Here is the link to the Washington Post Article:

Washington Post story on a possible bursting water pipe

Cars and Robbers

I've received a some reports in the past few weeks of some late-night attempts to remove items from parked cars.  Generally the attempts were unsuccessful because the cars were locked, someone observed the nefarious activities and called the police, or because there was nothing of value to steal.  There have been some small, portable items (like iPods and portable GPS devices) taken.

There seems to be a pattern to these attempted robberies.  The vandals work individually or in small groups.  They walk along a row of cars searching for unlocked doors.  When they find a car with an unlocked door they make a quick search for small, portable valuables to grab.  They run away when someone notices them and yells or calls the police.

I have not had any reports of these robbers trying to force the locks of locked cars.  I suppose the time it takes and noise it makes to break into a car makes it more likely that the potential robbers will be spotted and the police called. 

To thwart these potential robbers some obvious steps should be taken.  Please lock all car doors when leaving your vehicle.  Even if you think you might be returning to your car shortly, lock the doors.  Often plans change and the car is left unlocked overnight.   Also, don't leave small, valuable, electronic devices or other obviously valuable items in plain sight in your car.  Hide them out of sight or even better, bring them inside.

As always, your comments are welcome.  Please click on the word "comment(s)" below.


Harvey Levine
Inverness Today Blog
iftblog@gmail.com