# Your Leaves.. You pick em up!



## sattie (Nov 4, 2008)

I'm probably wrong in this thinking, but I don't have any trees in my front yard.  However..... my neighbor has a tree and it dumps all it's leaves in my front lawn.  You think he offers to come over and help me clean up after his tree?  I'm talking 8 or 9 bags of leaves just from his tree.

Here is my thinking... your tree, your mess, you come clean it up.  

Good luck with that sattie.


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## Fisher's Mom (Nov 4, 2008)

Maybe you could invest in a blower and just blow them back into his yard?


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## deelady (Nov 4, 2008)

LOL I thought you were talking about me.....
My tree in front has been falling and blowing around...but I havent bought a rake yet to clean them! I went to Target to get one but surprisingly they had no garden tools right now! The garden area is filled with Christmas stuff! But I just know my neighbors are starting to tap their fingers....I can just see them in their houses drummin those fingers every chance they get....(paranoid...who me??)
Also when I had my lawn guy come this weekend I thought for sure he would just mow them up, wrong again! He kinda just pushed them around and preceeded to tell me he doesn't do leaves (is that kinda like saying "I don't Do Windows!!) but in gardener??


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## texasgirl (Nov 4, 2008)

Fisher's Mom said:


> Maybe you could invest in a blower and just blow them back into his yard?



My thoughts exactly, hehe


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## Adillo303 (Nov 4, 2008)

In my town, you just rake them into the street. They memmow there and blow around some, after a while, at a secretly appointed time, the borrough comes around with a giand vacuum and sucks them up. bo baga, no picking up, just rake.

This almost the only service the borrough offers. LOL

I believe that onge the leaf departs the tree, it enters the public domain. Once it lands on your lawn, it becomes yours.

AC


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## GrillingFool (Nov 4, 2008)

We don't have trees in the front yard either. So we get some blow in from the mighty oaks around us...
I just remind myself that it could be MUCH MUCH worse, LOL!

We have curb pile leaf pickup too. Many neighbors not only ignore the law that says leaves must be in the yard not in the street... they put them ENTIRELY in the street. Not a leaf on their property. Which makes our streets .75 lanes wide. Wish I had a superblower in my truck bed I could use to put the leaves back in their yard where the law says to keep them, LOL! (rant over, return to your normal reading, LOL)


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## Fisher's Mom (Nov 4, 2008)

Adillo303 said:


> I believe that onge the leaf departs the tree, it enters the public domain. Once it lands on your lawn, it becomes yours.
> 
> AC


I think you're right, AC. That's why the blower would work best - puts them in the public domain again.


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## GhettoRacingKid (Nov 4, 2008)

does the tree hang over into your property?

you can cut straight up your property line if it does.

Have you spoken to the nieghbor?  maybe work something out.

or you can just rack them onto a tarp and drag the leaves back over to his property


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## babetoo (Nov 4, 2008)

here we try to always blow into the street on tuesdays. on wed. the street sweeper comes by and suck em up


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## GB (Nov 4, 2008)

We have a few big trees on our property that hang over into our neighbors property and they have trees that hang into ours. This is the first house that I have owned so I did not know how any of this worked. I asked around and the general consensus here is that you only own what is over your property. If a tree branch hangs into your property then it is your responsibility. I would guess that goes for the leaves too.


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## suziquzie (Nov 4, 2008)

GrillingFool said:


> We don't have trees in the front yard either. So we get some blow in from the mighty oaks around us...
> I just remind myself that it could be MUCH MUCH worse, LOL!


 
LOL YES IT COULD!!!! 
You could have THIS to deal with.... twice a year because half the dang leaves don't fall off until after it snows or the new leaves come and bump 'em out. 
And that's only about 1/3 of the property!!!! 
wanna be my neighbor? 

Free firewood..... you cut it you drag it. Whole trees. TAKE THEM AWAY PLEASE!!!!!


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## sattie (Nov 4, 2008)

Fisher's Mom said:


> Maybe you could invest in a blower and just blow them back into his yard?


 
OHHHHH I love how you think!!!!!  I can see that is gonna go over real well... might win me the most loved neighbor award!  I love the idea.... I guess I could do it one day while they are at work.  It would be so obvious tho!!!  

Devious!!!!


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## GotGarlic (Nov 4, 2008)

suziquzie said:


> LOL YES IT COULD!!!!
> You could have THIS to deal with.... twice a year because half the dang leaves don't fall off until after it snows or the new leaves come and bump 'em out.
> And that's only about 1/3 of the property!!!!
> wanna be my neighbor?
> ...



I've got one word for you, Suzie - compost!  Here's two more - free labor! That's what children are for!


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## sattie (Nov 4, 2008)

That is crazy Suziquzie!!!!  My yard is a fraction of that size and I still think I get that many leaves!


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## sattie (Nov 4, 2008)

deelady said:


> LOL I thought you were talking about me.....


 
Heck no girlie!!!!


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## jennyema (Nov 4, 2008)

GB said:


> We have a few big trees on our property that hang over into our neighbors property and they have trees that hang into ours. This is the first house that I have owned so I did not know how any of this worked. I asked around and the general consensus here is that you only own what is over your property. If a tree branch hangs into your property then it is your responsibility. I would guess that goes for the leaves too.


 
Here is some info: Massachusetts Law About Neighbors and Trees


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## sattie (Nov 4, 2008)

GB said:


> We have a few big trees on our property that hang over into our neighbors property and they have trees that hang into ours. This is the first house that I have owned so I did not know how any of this worked. I asked around and the general consensus here is that you only own what is over your property. If a tree branch hangs into your property then it is your responsibility. I would guess that goes for the leaves too.


 
I think about 25% of the tree hangs over my property line.  But the entire leaf population ends up in my yard for whatever reason.  Must be the leaf magnent I have.  

Last year, I even went as far as to rake the leaves and push the piles over towards his yard.... and they sat, and sat, and sat... until I picked them up.


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## suziquzie (Nov 4, 2008)

Ok Sattie you're making me think my neighbors HATE me, and they have just as many trees as I do!!!!!


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## GB (Nov 4, 2008)

jennyema said:


> Here is some info: Massachusetts Law About Neighbors and Trees


I did not read through the whole thing. I just skimmed it (it was making my head hurt), but what I got out of it was that is was talking about the entire tree, not just the part hanging over another property. My understanding is that if a limb is hanging into my yard then I can cut the part that is in my property off. Is that incorrect?


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## jennyema (Nov 4, 2008)

GB said:


> I did not read through the whole thing. I just skimmed it (it was making my head hurt), but what I got out of it was that is was talking about the entire tree, not just the part hanging over another property. My understanding is that if a limb is hanging into my yard then I can cut the part that is in my property off. Is that incorrect?


 
Made your head hurt? Imagine if you had to read the original law book! 

Macero v. Busconi Corp., Civil No. 99-03577E (Middlesex Super.Ct.), 12 Mass. L. Rep. 521 (2000). "Massachusetts law recognizes a right of self-help by which a property owner can cut the limbs or branches of a tree that invade his property as long as such cutting is done at the property line. A neighbor has the right to remove so much of the tree as overhangs his property..... The remedy is open to any party whose property is invaded by intruding boughs and roots."


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## GB (Nov 4, 2008)

Thank


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## Fisher's Mom (Nov 4, 2008)

sattie said:


> OHHHHH I love how you think!!!!!  I can see that is gonna go over real well... might win me the most loved neighbor award!  I love the idea.... I guess I could do it one day while they are at work.  It would be so obvious tho!!!
> 
> Devious!!!!


Oh yeah, I forgot that part. You definitely want to make sure it's when the neighbor is at work. Better yet, have your son do it when the neighbor is at work. Then, if anyone says anything, just shake your head and say "Kids".


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## pacanis (Nov 4, 2008)

I'm not sure if it's the law around me, but over here it's pretty much understood that you can only cut branches that overhang your property if they are interfering with something. Like if you had to duck under them to mow, or if they were brushing against your house. It's a courtesy thing that you don't draw an imaginary line up from your property line and whack the braches off your neighbor's tree. Even if you want to (lol)

To the post: I only rake where I have to, like around buildings or inside fencing in the dogs' yards. I distribute them just far enough west of my buildings to have them carry on their merry way.... hopefully into NY (lol). I mow the rest. If I had an area like Suzi's I would mow the leaves and turn them into mulch. I'm not in an area where people rake or they have leaf pickup day. Not that I remember anyway. There might be someone who rakes and bags them in those clear bags for P/U. I know if we want we can trailer them (and branches) to the township building where they will turn them into mulch. There's always someone driving down the road with a load of yardwork on a trailer.


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## smoke king (Nov 4, 2008)

8 or 9 bags!!!! I'll tell you what I would do. I would rake them into a big pile, go all the way across the street, take a good run at em' and dive into the pile!! 

I don't *ever* want to grow up!!


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## Fisher's Mom (Nov 4, 2008)

smoke king said:


> 8 or 9 bags!!!! I'll tell you what I would do. I would rake them into a big pile, go all the way across the street, take a good run at em' and dive into the pile!!
> 
> I don't *ever* want to grow up!!


Hey Sattie - I think you can just take 'em over and dump them in Smoke King's yard.


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## sattie (Nov 4, 2008)

Fisher's Mom said:


> Oh yeah, I forgot that part. You definitely want to make sure it's when the neighbor is at work. Better yet, have your son do it when the neighbor is at work. Then, if anyone says anything, just shake your head and say "Kids".


 
If only I had a son!!!  Maybe I could pay someone else's son????  Any takers???




pacanis said:


> I'm not sure if it's the law around me, but over here it's pretty much understood that you can only cut branches that overhang your property if they are interfering with something.
> 
> To the post: I only rake where I have to.


 
As for the overhanging branches... the tree is too pretty to mutiliate it like that.  And even if I did cut the branches off, I would still end up with the leaves.

I have to rake, the leaves get two to three inches deep, and since I just had a new lawn laid down this past spring... it is to young to deal with the mulch/clippings...... or am I mistaken????



smoke king said:


> 8 or 9 bags!!!! I'll tell you what I would do. I would rake them into a big pile, go all the way across the street, take a good run at em' and dive into the pile!!
> 
> I don't *ever* want to grow up!!


 
I have thought about that actually!!!!  I remember doing that as a kid!  DING DING DING.... something for the "I remember" thread!



Fisher's Mom said:


> Hey Sattie - I think you can just take 'em over and dump them in Smoke King's yard.


 
Girl... you are full of great ideas!!!!!!!


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## smoke king (Nov 4, 2008)

Fisher's Mom said:


> Hey Sattie - I think you can just take 'em over and dump them in Smoke King's yard.



 

 YaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaY!


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## pacanis (Nov 4, 2008)

sattie said:


> As for the overhanging branches... the tree is too pretty to mutiliate it like that. And even if I did cut the branches off, I would still end up with the leaves.


 
Good for you! It almost sounded like some people were advocating mutilating trees to remove some branches.


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## VeraBlue (Nov 4, 2008)

All the homes on my street are fairly close, yet we all have a few trees on our lots....some more than others.

I get your frustration and even get that this is mostly tongue in cheek.. which is why my initial thought was to pick them up and return them to your neighbour.

But, upon further consideration, I realize this is the type of thing that keeps neighbours from talking after a few years.  I see it this way:  The trees, in general, make the entire street look nice and we all benefit from the shade they provide in the summer, the birds they attract in the spring and the rainbow of colours this time of year.  I would never suggest that you cut any portion of the tree, regardless of where it hangs.  That kind of trauma could damage the tree permanently with no promise of the remaining leaves not blowing into your yard; not to mention how horrible the resulting branch mutilation would make the rest of the tree look.

8-9 bags is alot.  Hopefully, writing about it here, and discovering that other people feel your pain will make the clean up easire for you.  If you can bear it, bake a batch of leaf shaped cookies and bring them over to your neighbour.  Tell him that he so thoughtfully gives you so many each year that you wanted to return the gesture.  If nothing else, you'll get the last laugh.

I love to rake leaves, by the way...need any help?  The fragrance is maddeningly wonderful, coupled with the thought of irish coffee upon completion of the task.


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## sattie (Nov 4, 2008)

pacanis said:


> Good for you! It almost sounded like some people were advocating mutilating trees to remove some branches.


  I appreciate nature to much to do something that selfish over leaves.  Plus I don't even think it would help to cut the branches in this case.


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## Katie H (Nov 4, 2008)

VeraBlue said:


> I love to rake leaves, by the way...need any help?  The fragrance is maddeningly wonderful, coupled with the thought of irish coffee upon completion of the task.




Yeah, Vera!  The smell of the leaves always makes me want to take a great leap into a huge raked pile.  Even at my age, I would do it in a heartbeat.

As for raking leaves, our house has been around since 1880 and is surrounded by 100-year-old oak trees.  The leaves they produce is beyond belief.  I can't imagine the original homeowners raking leaves.  Of course, the trees were smaller then.  The Pilgrims probably didn't either.

Having said that, the soil anywhere near the house is as black as coal and will grow nearly anything.  Can you say "mulch?"

Yes, the leaves blow around but our neighbors do what they do and we do what we do and no one seems to have an issue with each other's methods.

Ah...the wonderful aroma of fall!!


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## sattie (Nov 4, 2008)

VeraBlue said:


> All the homes on my street are fairly close, yet we all have a few trees on our lots....some more than others.
> 
> I get your frustration and even get that this is mostly tongue in cheek.. which is why my initial thought was to pick them up and return them to your neighbour.
> 
> ...


 
VB.. you are right... I could have posted this in the "Venting" thread easily enough.  8 bags is alot... it is amazing how 1 seemingly small tree can make such a mess.  I'm thinking... specially after reading the posts in this thread:  Can I just pile those leaves in my landscaping beds on top of the cedar mulch?  As long as it will not damage the plants... I think it would be a good idea to use it as mulch.  Suppose I have to chop it up a bit.

I love the idea of cooking the leaf-shaped cookies.  No, I don't want to cause grief with my neighbors.  (Although it would be nice if they were to offer to help!!!)  I look out for my neighbors... no matter how upset I get with them.  

And I agree that the trees help make the neighborhood... that is why I stated that I would never do that to a tree unless it poses some sort of threat.  (I will say that I have cut back that awful grapevine my neighbor behind me planted.... that crap takes over everything!!!!


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## snack_pack85 (Nov 4, 2008)

Our street has atleast two trees per lot and it is impossible to decern who's leaves come from who. Do other people have trees on your block? Is it possible some of the leaves come from other trees nearby?


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## kitchenelf (Nov 4, 2008)

jennyema said:


> Made your head hurt? Imagine if you had to read the original law book!



Some of us were meant to be lawyers and some of us were meant to sell wine TO the lawyers


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## dave the baker (Nov 4, 2008)

Just palm trees here, and they do the pick up when they trim them.  Having raked for 45 years in the midwest, I don't miss 'em at all.


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## letscook (Nov 5, 2008)

In our other house we lived in was close to neighbors, they were always racking their leaves. One fall off the tree they were out there. I never racked them till they were all down. They use to drop lil hints. Wow your leaves are falling, or your going to have a big while when you rack. The thing is i ended up never racking them, once all have fallen I would mow over them instead. They were not happy when they saw me. More lil hints came out. Like your not going to leave them there and i would say the snow will be covering them up soon. I also told them if you don't like my leaves you rack them up - they never did- But come spring when they are fertlizing their lawn I had a very green lawn, and when planting my flowers, my flowers were always the healthiest on the street. No chemicals at all. They also suck up all the grass in the summer when cutting their lawn, the lawn losings its nutrients.
So my turn --I dropped lil hint Like the leaves sure make a nice fertilizer. They never again bothered me. I did however sweep my sidewalk so when rain no ne would slip on them. When spring came the mowed leaves disappeared back into the lawn. 

We moved many years ago and I don't have as many trees.


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## sattie (Nov 5, 2008)

letscook said:


> In our other house we lived in was close to neighbors, they were always racking their leaves. One fall off the tree they were out there. I never racked them till they were all down. They use to drop lil hints. Wow your leaves are falling, or your going to have a big while when you rack. The thing is i ended up never racking them, once all have fallen I would mow over them instead. They were not happy when they saw me. More lil hints came out. Like your not going to leave them there and i would say the snow will be covering them up soon. I also told them if you don't like my leaves you rack them up - they never did- But come spring when they are fertlizing their lawn I had a very green lawn, and when planting my flowers, my flowers were always the healthiest on the street. No chemicals at all. They also suck up all the grass in the summer when cutting their lawn, the lawn losings its nutrients.
> So my turn --I dropped lil hint Like the leaves sure make a nice fertilizer. They never again bothered me. I did however sweep my sidewalk so when rain no ne would slip on them. When spring came the mowed leaves disappeared back into the lawn.
> 
> We moved many years ago and I don't have as many trees.


 
Yea, I'm wondering if I can mulch some of the leaves and leave on my lawn.  (However, the people that laid my sod informed me that it was to young to handle clippings/mulch.)  Anyone have any insight on this?

Thanks letscook!  And DTB.... plams would be great!  Easy clean up!


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## jpmcgrew (Nov 5, 2008)

I wish I had those 9 bags of leaves I would mow them and start the lasagna garden I want to have. We have mostly pine and pinon trees.


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## sattie (Nov 5, 2008)

Those pinon trees... do they smell anything like the oils I find here?  I love that scent!


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## jpmcgrew (Nov 5, 2008)

sattie said:


> Those pinon trees... do they smell anything like the oils I find here? I love that scent!


 The trees themselves don't really have a smell but the sap on them has a strong pine scent. The cones also make great fire starters. Pinon wood burns very hot and doesn't pop like some other woods.


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## sparrowgrass (Nov 5, 2008)

Bag those leaves up and bring them to me.  I have chickens, and I put all the leaves I can get into their chicken yard in the fall.  They scratch them up and poop on them, and by spring I have all the lovely rich compost I need.  The leaves also keep their feet from getting so muddy in our wet winters, and that keeps the eggs cleaner.


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## deelady (Nov 5, 2008)

OK OK I bought a rake today! So stop nagging!!!


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## sattie (Nov 5, 2008)

I need some chickens to poop on my leaves.....


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## deelady (Nov 5, 2008)

sattie said:


> I need some chickens to poop on my leaves.....


 
Well I don't know about chickens but there might be a few members here who love ya enough to volun......no?? Well can't say I didn't try!!


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## dave the baker (Nov 5, 2008)

sattie:

I like the palms, no work!  But my cousin in Arizona calls them "blankety blank" water sucking weeds!  Can't please everybody I guess.  He can keep his  ****** catcus.  So there!


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## CharlieD (Nov 5, 2008)

I say take the leaf blower and blow all the leaves back in his yard.


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## sattie (Nov 5, 2008)

dave the baker said:


> sattie:
> 
> I like the palms, no work! But my cousin in Arizona calls them "blankety blank" water sucking weeds! Can't please everybody I guess. He can keep his ****** catcus. So there!


 

  Thanks for the laugh!


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## jpmcgrew (Nov 5, 2008)

Or you could look at it this way if you enjoy the trees and like looking at them even when they are not on your property maybe you should go ahead and rake them. I mean what if they cut down all their trees would you like it better that way or would you miss them? To bad their not nut trees then at least you could keep the nuts.


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## CharlieD (Nov 5, 2008)

Speaking of trees and neighbors. Don’t want to start new thread, maybe you guys can help me here. So I have this neighbors, we have an ok relation. Not close by any means, but always nicely say hi how are you to each other. So the last storm we had one of his trees got hit and it is now, even though it is still growing, it is growing at the huge angle. Lucky him it is away from his house, not so lucky me, if it falls, and it will fall eventually, it will ruin couple of my trees, because my trees are much smaller and his is pretty big. I don’t know what to do. He obviously doesn’t have money to remove it.


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## GB (Nov 5, 2008)

I do not know about Minnesota Charlie, but my understanding in MA is that if it is over your property line then you are the one responsible for that part of the tree, so if you want something done so it does not damage your other trees then it is up to you. If it were me, I would talk with the neighbor and see if you can split the cost or if he could even contribute some if not 50%. I know if a neighbor came to me like that then I would want to help regardless of whose legal responsibility it is.


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## justplainbill (Nov 5, 2008)

sparrowgrass said:


> Bag those leaves up and bring them to me. I have chickens, and I put all the leaves I can get into their chicken yard in the fall. They scratch them up and poop on them, and by spring I have all the lovely rich compost I need. The leaves also keep their feet from getting so muddy in our wet winters, and that keeps the eggs cleaner.


 Gray squirrels in my area are quite busy now gathering leaves for their nests.  They have one heck of a job gathering and carrying 4 -6  leaves at a time up to their nests.  Leaves also seem to be of benefit in providing winter protection to some low growing plants.  Being a glass half full type, I consider leaves to be more of a blessing than a curse.


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## dave the baker (Nov 5, 2008)

You should have him check with his insurance company because the base of the tree in on his property and if it causes damage on your property it should be his liability.  The over-hanging branch theory shouldn't really apply here like it does to leaves and fruit, but check with your lawyer to be sure.  Trust me, it's worth a few bucks to make sure. Every state is different.  If it is his responsability, for sure, for sure don't be bashful!!!  It's your home that is in danger.


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## pacanis (Nov 5, 2008)

dave the baker said:


> You should have him check with his insurance company because the base of the tree in on his property and if it causes damage on your property it should be his liability. The over-hanging branch theory shouldn't really apply here like it does to leaves and fruit, but check with your lawyer to be sure. Trust me, it's worth a few bucks to make sure. Every state is different. If it is his responsability, for sure, for sure don't be bashful!!! It's your home that is in danger.


 
Hmmm, I say you go to a junkyard, pick up a wrecked sports car and park it underneath the tree's line of fall, under a tarp. Go out there every now and then like you are restoring it and pray for an ice storm to speed things along   Don't call the insurance co until you have to.


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