Hey Guy, consulting question

[Mike Barcaskey]

A good customer of mine calls about a red oak in it's second year of decline.
Probably 3/4 of the tree is bare and the tree is located on the property line. At first I am thinking oak wilt or anthracnose, but it's not an even decline. All the leafed branches are on the owners side of the tree.
on closer inspection I find the neighbor has placed 2 to 3 feet of fill on his side of the line. This is covering almost 1/2 of the root diameter of the tree. He put the fill in 1 to 2 years ago.
So we have die back, and from the looks of the tree, death next year from what I think is the fill.

Is this worth following up?
Have a certified or consulting arborist verify that the fill killed the tree and place a value on the tree.
I talked with the local office of Bartlett Tree Experts and they did not want to do this. Said it wasn't worth their time (can't understand how anyone can say that)
The neighbors are not on good terms and with the potential for court time how should I expect a certified arborist to bill.

 

[vharrison2]

The arborist is probably going to bill you by the hour. I imagine rates per hour vary around the country. Down here $ 125.00 per hour is acceptable.

 

[treeseer]

Down here $ 125.00 per hour is acceptable.

Makes me want to move back to the Keys; then again I remember the cost of living (it up) was pretty High... :alien:

Mike, the kill by fill may have been done out of ignorance, but still the negligence of one owner deprived the other of an asset and created a hazard. First thing to do is post a picture here; to see if your client's half of the tree is viable as the other declines. Long term, not.

Measure dbh and spread and height and ID the species. If a local consultant can't be found you could get a tele-appraisal, if enough information is provided.

 

[Treeman14]

$125 per hour is about right for the Tampa Metro area.

 

[treeseer]

$125 per hour is about right for the Tampa Metro area.

That include driving time, or just time on site?

 

[BigUglySquirrel]

That include driving time, or just time on site?

You kiddin' me?? Have you seen the price of gas and diesel lately? I'm no arborist (not yet anyways) but I always factor in the drive time and the cost of getting the equipment there and back again. I'm not saying to use it as an excuse to rake somebody, but the rising cost of fuel is a consideration you have to take into account. It's an expense you have to cover. Also, how long is travel time hitting you for? If you have to drive some crazy amount, that's a few small jobs or errands that you could have done locally. Don't let is cost you money...that's my advice.