Free Tree Law Workshop 10/16

Has your neighbor cut down or pruned your tree in a way you don't like? Have the city's contractors destroyed your trees by topping them while clearing vegetation away from utility lines? Are you upset that decades-old trees are being pulled out along the main street of your town because they are cracking the sidewalk? Is your neighbor cutting down all the native sycamores on his property near your house?

Come to our free Tree Law Workshop and find out what your legal rights are in these and other tree-related situations.

The Angeles Chapter Legal Committee is sponsoring a free, day-long workshop on California Tree Law for activists and tree lovers at Loyola Law School on Saturday, October 16, 2010 from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. The workshop will be presented by Michel & Associates, a Long-Beach law firm currently writing the book on California Tree Law.

It will also cover some topics of interest to land-use activists, such as: What heritage trees are protected in the City of Los Angeles? If a developer is planning to clear the hills of oak trees to make room for houses is there anything we can do about it? What environmental laws can be used to protect trees? What laws govern the harvesting of timber on private, state and federal lands?

We'll also cover more mundane issues such as who is responsible for maintaining street trees, who is liable for damage done by negligent maintenance of street trees, how you should go about getting a valuation of a tree, what you should consider when hiring someone to cut down or heavily prune a tree, and what restrictions your CC&Rs may place on your tree rights. And we'll review how to look up legal cases, ordinances and statutes, and how to resolve disputes using legal tools.

Though this event is free, we ask that you RSVP by email to Dean Wallraff. Please note lunch is not provided