Legal Risks with "Free Wood, You cut"

[towtow]

I am considering getting a hydraulic bandmill to produce dimensional lumber. I am researching sources for logs in my local area. Ideally, I would like to pick up free logs and/or trees that have been felled and the owner wants removed. Through my research I am finding a number of newspaper ads for "free wood, you cut". After a few calls I am finding out that these are property owners with various numbers of trees that they want cut down and removed. I am not an arborist by any strecth of the imagination, but I can handle a chainsaw. For that reason, I WOULD NOT CONSIDER felling a tree that possibly fall on a house, shed, car, etc. I would feel comfortable felling one in no danger of causing property damage.
I like the idea of getting the free log, however I have a couple of concerns with cutting down the trees:

1.) I don't have enough experience cutting down trees on other people's property to have a good understanding of the legal risks associated with doing so.

2.) It occurs to me that these people are looking for the cheap alternative to hiring a tree removal expert.

Should I take the trees, or would it be a better idea to contact the local tree guys and explain my desire to get the logs? What do the tree guys do with the wood? Is it ALL put into the chipper or is it an expense to haul the logs to a dumpsite? If this is the case, could I make a couple of dollars from the tree guy to haul off the logs for him?

Thanks,

Mike

 

[skwerl]

Hey Mike, good question you've posed. As a treeman, my opinion is that the cheapskates looking for free treework should be avoided at all costs. They typically have a "The world owes me everything" attitude and once you enter into an agreement with them, the strings start getting pulled until you owe them for every twig you've broken and every leaf you've failed to clean up. And God help you if you accidentally damage something on their property, including tripping over an improperly mounted sprinkler head. People who want something for nothing scare the Hell outta me.

Your second idea of locating and working in conjunction with a couple local tree guys sounds like a 'win-win' situation. They can call you when they have good logs, and you can help them save dump fees and time.

 

[ASD]

just my .10 "FREE" never is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Dadatwins]

Good for you realizing you can't go out happily cutting away at every tree just to get the wood, would be interesting to see how the damage situation would be handled on those 'free wood come and get it deals' Beside contacting local arborist / tree companies in your area for wood suggest contacting city or county parks and rec or public works and find out what they do with city logs from trees that are cut. Here in richmond there are a few programs that salvage firewood for the salvation army and other winter heat programs, and also a large wood waste area that anyone can access to get wood ,chips, mulch ect. City or county equipment usually set up to dump longer logs that backyard tree companies may have to cut up shorter to remove. Good luck.

 

[redprospector]

NO FREE RIDES!

Andy

 

[towtow]

OK, I'm hearing the message load and clear..stay away from the cheapskates because it' better to be safe than sorry.

If I'm going to direct my efforts towards working with the tree guys, is it reasonable to get paid for hauling of the logs for them. I'm not trying to be greedy, but if it costs them something to dispose of the tree, maybe I can be the "lower cost alternative" and I can get the log and some cash. Don't know if there's a dollar there to be made, but if there is...

Thanks,

Mike

 

[Newfie]

Or maybe you could pick up the logs for free and be happy that you are getting free wood w/ very little effort on your part?

 

[Gologit]

I've answered a couple of "cut it and take it" ads and both were just disasters or lawsuits waiting to happen. The first was a really nice 6'dbh doug fir that was leaning over the house and the garage...and I mean leaning. My climbing days are behind me so I turned it down and they wound up getting a reputable tree service instead. Nice folks,no harm no foul. The second one was a bunch of cedar and pine but they also wanted the stunps removed,all the limbs and slash removed,the lawn repaired and replanted,and all the work done after nine in the morning and before three in the afternoon. They also wanted me to sign a "hold harmless" agreement to release them from any liability. Oh...the real clincher,they wanted me to use an electric saw so the noise wouldn't disturb the neighbors...very fancy neighborhood. Far as I know those trees are still there.

 

[Newfie]

I've answered a couple of "cut it and take it" ads and both were just disasters or lawsuits waiting to happen. The first was a really nice 6'dbh doug fir that was leaning over the house and the garage...and I mean leaning. My climbing days are behind me so I turned it down and they wound up getting a reputable tree service instead. Nice folks,no harm no foul. The second one was a bunch of cedar and pine but they also wanted the stunps removed,all the limbs and slash removed,the lawn repaired and replanted,and all the work done after nine in the morning and before three in the afternoon. They also wanted me to sign a "hold harmless" agreement to release them from any liability. Oh...the real clincher,they wanted me to use an electric saw so the noise wouldn't disturb the neighbors...very fancy neighborhood. Far as I know those trees are still there.

Did you have to provide your own KY as well?

 

[Mike Barcaskey]

towtow, I'd be surprised if you could find a tree service to pay you to haul out their logs. I operate on both sides of that fence
As a tree service, I might have the logs hauled out for free, if it helps my bid on the job and they're not worth much. Mostly I sell them, wether I haul them to a mill or the mill comes and picks them up.
As a mill owner and small logging operation, I will come out and pick up logs from other tree services, I would never pay for them and never get paid. That said, I wont waste my time picking up junk logs, their worth at the mill needs to pay my time.

 

[Gologit]

Did you have to provide your own KY as well?

The discussion never reached that point but I wouldn't have been surprised. The cretins make you appreciate the good folks I guess.

 

[towtow]

All,
Thanks for all the helpful feedback. I feel fortunate to be able to move forward with an understanding that I need to develop close relationships with the local tree guys in my area in order to start some "cooperative agreements" regarding the issue of hauling logs.
For anyone in the Middle Georgia area who does tree work, I would be willing to haul your logs from your worksite if I can have the logs for free. I will be milling the logs, so I won't necessarily be interested in rotten or damaged logs. Anyway, thanks to all!

Mike

 

[kkesler]

I am getting some free wood this weekend from a similar situation, except this wood is already on the ground. 12 acres site that has been cleared, then the wood bulldozed into big piles. REALLY big piles. Nice guy. Said he is going to burn what is left of the piles in place, but would rather other folks burn it in their fireplaces, as one of his kids has asthma and he can't burn wood in the house so the wood is no good to him. Pointed out a few damaged trees and said if I wanted to fool with I was welcome to drop them and take them, or just leave them.

I would have no interest in the situation you describe where someone wants trees dropped, though.

 

[mike385]

I wish you lived in PA 'cause, I could give you as much firewood as you and many others could use. I have cut alot of clearcuts, and there is always wood left. The coal companies don't want to have to deal with it. Most of the time they would put it in a pile that you could deal with. And the bonus is that you don't have to worry about a D11 running you over.

 

[DeanBrown3D]

Getting trees out of a big pile is a big PITA. You will need winches and other equipment, plenty of room, and you probably wont want to leave the pile sprawled out all over the site after you finished, pissing off the owner who did you a favor letting you on.

 

[kkesler]

Getting trees out of a big pile is a big PITA. You will need winches and other equipment, plenty of room, and you probably wont want to leave the pile sprawled out all over the site after you finished, pissing off the owner who did you a favor letting you on.

It really wasn't bad, especially as there were a lot "strays" for the picking. What I do is cut everything into 6 foot sections (or multiples thereof), which is easy to handle and move around with my teeny Kubota tractor, and saves a lot of time on a site as I can buck it at home. In the piles, I would find a decent piece, then cut as much as I could get to, hook a chain to it and pull it out. I didn't even begin to try and get stuff out that was buried, even though I could see some nice oak peeking out. Got a couple of truckloads out today, which is a good bit for me. Nothing any bigger than 10" inch diameter or so, which left the C5 cooling it's heels.

It was a zoo, though. Bet there were 10 people out there with chainsaws, 4 wheelers and big trucks. 4 wheelers don't appear to make very good skidders, trucks sure seem to get stuck a lot and Craftsman chainsaws don't appear to like to keep their chains on.

 

[BlackenedTimber]

yo kkesler,

I hope you have a carbide chain... cutting logs that have been dozed usually means spending more time sharpening than cutting. Those things have been filthy in my experience.

As far as cutting off of a monster pile, climb up the thing, and start bucking out the top logs into blockwood (aka rounds) and toss them to the ground as you work. by the end of the day the pile will have shrunk, hopefully significantly, and you'll have a bunch of block to haul off and split.

oh, dont fall off the pile, or cut the bottom logs... unless you wanna get crushed, of coarse. be careful.

 

[kkesler]

Got pretty lucky, as it had poured rain for a couple of days so everything was fairly clean.

Thanks for the other tips. May go back this weekend.

 

[DeanBrown3D]

2 points:

1. If you make it through the day climbing over a pile of tangled trees and using a chainsaw, without injuring yourself or braking an ankle, congratulations.
2. Rain does not clean mud off trees. Maybe when they are wet they look cleaner for some reason.

-D

 

[kkesler]

2 points:

1. If you make it through the day climbing over a pile of tangled trees and using a chainsaw, without injuring yourself or braking an ankle, congratulations.
2. Rain does not clean mud off trees. Maybe when they are wet they look cleaner for some reason.

-D

Agreed. Didn't spend much time in the piles, as there was quite a bit around the edges.