However, if property owners find trees encroaching on their property from the.

Injury to or removing trees, etc. - Damages. Whenever any person shall cut down, girdle, or otherwise injure, or carry off any tree, including a Christmas tree as defined in RCWtimber, or shrub on the land of another person, or on the street or highway in front of any person's house, city or town lot, or grand rapids stump grinding grounds, or on the commons or public grounds of any city or town, or on the street or.

Any city or town may by general ordinance require the owner of any property therein to remove or destroy all trees, plants, shrubs or vegetation, or parts thereof, which overhang any sidewalk or street or which are growing thereon in such manner as to obstruct or impair the free and full use of the sidewalk or street by the public; and may further so require the owner of any property therein to remove or destroy all grass, weeds, shrubs, bushes, trees. (1) An electric utility is immune from liability under RCW, and and any claims for general or special damages, including claims of emotional distress, for cutting or removing vegetation located on or originating from land or property adjacent to electric facilities that.

Jul 20, Trees that start out on your property but grow over the boundary between your property and your neighbor’s property become the joint property of you and your neighbor under Washington state law. You cannot cut down the tree without getting the permission of your neighbor. Likewise, your neighbor has to get your permission to cut the tree back to his property line if pruning the tree will cause damage to the tree. Washington State – Street Tree Ordinances. MSRC – Urban Forestry.

Tree Ordinances by Washington City. Bainbridge Island, WA – Ordinance No Beaux Arts Village, WA – Ordinance No – Jan 11, Bellevue, WA – Bellevue Land Use Code – Sec. – Tree retention and Replacement. Trees Urban Ecosystem Analysis City of Bellevue, Washington – Oct. Sep 08, Washington law is clear that there must be an element of willfulness on the part of the trespasser to support treble damages under RCW In this context, the Court said, “willful” simply means that the trespass was “not casual or involuntary.”.

Because legislatively-enacted tree law is so sparse here, much of Washington's law is based on precedent set by court cases. For example, Merullo cites the case of Costina vs.

Ryland. The court. In Maier, plaintiffs “were entitled to cut back branches that overhung their property” but the trimming became timber trespass when it effectively killed the tree. The weight of these persuasive authorities suggests self-help trimming of encroaching limbs is lawful in Washington.

But there is also good reason to hesitate before trimming. Dec 01, Washington laws allow courts to issue injunctions to stop the construction of spite fences or other structures. Washington case law addresses property owners' right to trim encroaching branches from a tree located on a neighbor's property. The law recognizes your right to exercise"self help" by trimming encroaching branches up to the property line.