Tree problems in Morristown and what to do first

When a Morristown tree fails, the right first move is to clear the area, assume any wire is live and call the utility if lines are involved. Because lots are tight, a fallen tree is often on a roof, porch or parked car, which calls for rigging rather than a quick cut. Photograph everything, report town trees to the town, and give the contractor the address, the damage and what the tree is resting on.

Tree fell on the house

Most trees that land on houses fail at the roots after heavy rain, or break where old decay, a past topping cut or root damage from sidewalk and utility work weakened the wood. In the older parts of Morristown, big shade trees stand only a few feet from the house, so even a single limb can punch through a porch roof, a gutter line or a slate roof.

Move everyone away from the side of the house that was hit, and do not go into rooms where the ceiling is sagging or cracked. Look for downed wires before stepping outside, and assume any you see are live. Do not climb up to look, and do not cut branches off the roof yourself. If you smell gas, leave the house and call 911 from outside. Photograph the damage from a safe spot.

When people are safe and the utility has dealt with any wires, call a local pro. Tell the contractor whether the tree is still rooted, what part of the house it rests on, and whether there is room for a crane or bucket truck, since many Morristown lots have short or shared driveways and cars parked along both curbs. If the tree stood between the sidewalk and the street, tell the town as well.

Tree on a power line

Wires come down when storm winds snap limbs, when wet snow or ice weighs a crown down, or when an old tree splits. Morristown's dense streets run lines close to mature trees, so one failure can drop a branch across the service drop to a house or the lines between poles. A wire on the ground or tangled in a tree may still be energized, whether or not it sparks or hums.

Stay back at least 30 feet from the wire and from the tree touching it, and keep others away too. Call 911 for any downed or sparking line, and report it to the electric company. Never touch the branch, the wire, a fence it is lying on, or puddles nearby, and do not try to pull the limb free. If a line lands on your car while you are inside, stay in it unless there is a fire.

JCP&L supplies electricity in Morristown, and only the utility or a qualified line clearance crew should work on a tree in its lines. During the March 2, 2018 nor'easter, JCP&L reported more than 2,300 Morristown customers without power as trees and branches came down across town. After the utility makes the area safe, call a local pro and say what was left behind, such as a split trunk or limbs still hung in the canopy.

Neighbor's tree fell on my property or fence

A neighbor's tree comes down onto your yard or fence for the usual reasons: a storm, saturated ground, or decay inside the trunk. With Morristown lots as narrow as they are, a tree in one yard often reaches over the next house, and a fence may be all that separates them. Who ends up paying depends mostly on insurance and on the tree's condition before it fell.

Keep clear of the tree and anything wires may touch. Before anything is moved, take photos of the damage, the trunk, the stump or root plate, and any dead branches or rot you can see, and tell your neighbor. As a general rule, damage from a healthy tree blown over by a storm is treated as an act of nature and claimed on your own homeowners policy, while a tree that was obviously dead may raise a negligence question.

Treat this as general information, not legal advice, and read your own policy and ask your insurer before agreeing to anything. Then call a local pro for the part of the tree on your property, and tell the contractor whose tree it was and what your insurer wants. If the tree came from the street strip in front of either house, it may be a town tree, and Morristown has its own crew handle those, so report it to the town.

Tree fell on a car or driveway

Cars get hit because they park under the canopy, and in Morristown many sit on the street under big trees or in short driveways beside old yard trees. A limb that looked fine can fail in a gust if it had decay, a crack or a weak attachment. A trunk resting on a car or lying across a driveway is usually under strain and can shift as soon as the weight changes.

Make sure no one is inside or trapped, and look for wires before getting close. Do not try to move the car, push the limb off, or cut into a trunk that is bent across the roof or hood. Photograph the car, the tree and the spot where it broke. Damage to the vehicle generally goes through auto insurance, often comprehensive coverage, so call that insurer as well as your homeowners carrier if a structure was hit.

Call a local pro and say where the car is, whether the street is blocked, and how much room there is for a truck. If the tree that fell stood in the right of way or on town property, Morristown says residents should not have private companies work on it, so report it to the town and let the contractor handle only private trees. Mention narrow side yards so the crew can plan how to carry the wood out.

Leaning or cracked tree after a storm

A new lean after a storm means roots have shifted or torn. Watch for a raised edge of lawn on the side away from the lean, exposed roots or cracks in the soil. A crack in the trunk, a split where two main stems meet, or a broken limb hanging in the crown means the wood has already failed, and the next wind may finish the job.

Keep everyone out of the area the tree could hit, at least the tree's full height from the trunk. Move cars off the driveway or street spot underneath only if you can do it without walking under the hanging piece. Do not prop the tree, pull it with a rope, or cut a hanging limb from below. Take photos from a fixed spot so you can tell whether the lean is getting worse.

Call a local pro right away if the tree leans toward the house, the street or a neighbor's roof. Tell the contractor how old the tree is, whether it was topped years ago, and whether roots were cut for a sidewalk or sewer line. Those old injuries are common in Morristown's older neighborhoods: a street maple in front of the Vail Mansion on South Street toppled in a storm after rot set into its damaged base.

Dead or dying tree near the house

Thin leaves, dead branch tips at the top of the crown, bark falling off in sheets, cavities and fungus at the base are the usual signs of a tree in decline. Causes include root damage from construction and paving, old wounds that let rot in, drought stress, and insects like the emerald ash borer, which New Jersey treats as a threat to every ash tree in the state.

Keep people and cars out from under it, especially on windy days and in ice storms. Do not climb it or try to take it down yourself, because dead wood breaks unpredictably and on a tight lot a misjudged cut lands on a roof. Avoid piling fill or parking on the root zone. Note any limbs that have already fallen and take pictures of the crown to show the contractor.

Ask a local pro to look at the tree before winter storms load it with snow. Tell the contractor whether it stands in your yard or between the sidewalk and the street, since Morristown's town tree crew handles trees in the right of way. For a yard tree, ask whether the removal needs approval from the town and whether a replacement tree will be expected.

Common questions

Rules change. Confirm the current requirements with Morristown or the contractor before work starts.