Neighbor’s tree = potential problems?

[Flbeachluvr]

Our neighbors have some kind of pine tree that the HOA planted between our properties when the house was built. As it’s gotten bigger it has begun to cause problems for our pool. It’s okay in the summer but it loses its needles in the fall and many of them end up on the bottom of our pool. With all the wind we’ve gotten in the past few days the bottom of our pool is covered. We’ve netted as much as possible but are concerned that they could cause problems with clogging up the lines. We are having secret fantasies of somehow killing the tree. Anyone else deal with something like this?

 

[Jimrahbe]

fbl,

I'd talk with your neighbor and the HOA and see if you can remove it, and if you have to, replace it with a different type of tree.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

I was actually president of our HOA. Please do not do anything sneaky or underhanded...it can land you in a lot of trouble. Many HOA's have Architectural Review Committees (ARCs) that handle building and landscape issues. Speak to your HOA's ARC or the Board and request a meeting with them and the neighbor to discuss the trees. Most HOA Boards are reasonable and want the least amount of trouble in the neighborhood as possible. You could potentially get the HOA to pay for, or partially pay for, having the tree trimmed down to reduce debris. If your HOA is large enough and in a good financial position, it could all be done without costing you a dime. Purposely damaging a tree can cost you A LOT of money.

How large is your community? Does the community employ a regular landscape crew to manage the common areas? Is the tree on your lot, your neighbor's lot or in the common area?

 

[Flbeachluvr]

fbl,

I'd talk with your neighbor and the HOA and see if you can remove it, and if you have to, replace it with a different type of tree.

Thanks,

Jim R.

I really don’t want to get the HOA involved as they are not very understanding. The neighbors live out of the country and their college age son is the one who is mostly there. I’ll try to talk to them the next time I see them but I’m concerned about my equipment in the meantime.

 

[Flbeachluvr]

I was actually president of our HOA. Please do not do anything sneaky or underhanded...it can land you in a lot of trouble. Many HOA's have Architectural Review Committees (ARCs) that handle building and landscape issues. Speak to your HOA's ARC or the Board and request a meeting with them and the neighbor to discuss the trees. Most HOA Boards are reasonable and want the least amount of trouble in the neighborhood as possible. You could potentially get the HOA to pay for, or partially pay for, having the tree trimmed down to reduce debris. If your HOA is large enough and in a good financial position, it could all be done without costing you a dime. Purposely damaging a tree can cost you A LOT of money.

How large is your community? Does the community employ a regular landscape crew to manage the common areas? Is the tree on your lot, your neighbor's lot or in the common area?

We wouldn’t do anything to damage the tree but do like imagining ways to lead to its demise. We are in Florida and this tree really doesn’t even fit with the neighborhood. It’s behind the neighbor’s house by a retention pond but that area is up to the homeowner’s to maintain. At one time the neighbors expressed their dislike for the tree as well. Our ARC doesn’t go around the neighborhood looking for things so they’d never notice if the neighbors voluntarily cut down the tree. We took out two when we put in the pool and they never said a thing.

Bottom line though is what can we currently do to prevent any line clogging issues? It’s really difficult to net out all the little needles but I know if I run my pool sweep I risk clogging up the lines.

 

[Jimrahbe]

fbl,

Just go talk to the kid who lives there and see if he objects to you taking the tree out... I'll bet he won't care..

Jim R.

 

[Flbeachluvr]

fbl,

Just go talk to the kid who lives there and see if he objects to you taking the tree out... I'll bet he won't care..

Jim R.

HE won’t but his parents who own the home might. The whole thing has been a screwup since the home builder put up the house and pool. The pool is way too close to the retention pond and the builder only realized that after the lot was sold and the home and pool build started. After it was done they realized that the city required two hard wood trees in the non-existent backyard so they placed these weird trees at the furthest corners of the property.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

If it’s within the boundaries of a lot, then it’s up to the lot owner to deal with it. You could certainly offer to pay for its pruning or removal but I can tell you from experience that removing a single tree is costly especially if it involves stump grinding or removal.

As Jim said, talk to your neighbor about it.

As for the needle in the pool, DO NOT vacuum them into a vacuum line! I clogged a vacuum line once with mesquite needles. You need to use a manual vacuum with an inline leaf canister to capture the needles into. You can find one at any pool store.

 

[Flbeachluvr]

If it’s within the boundaries of a lot, then it’s up to the lot owner to deal with it. You could certainly offer to pay for its pruning or removal but I can tell you from experience that removing a single tree is costly especially if it involves stump grinding or removal.

As Jim said, talk to your neighbor about it.

As for the needle in the pool, DO NOT vacuum them into a vacuum line! I clogged a vacuum line once with mesquite needles. You need to use a manual vacuum with an inline leaf canister to capture the needles into. You can find one at any pool store.

My husband jokes that we should have done something during the recent hurricane and they’d have never known. [emoji6]

 

[PoolGate]

I thought all you guys in FL had screens around your pools?

Perhaps a robot that could run all day collecting needles in its internal holding tank.

 

[Flbeachluvr]

I thought all you guys in FL had screens around your pools?

Perhaps a robot that could run all day collecting needles in its internal holding tank.

Yes, most Florida people do have screens but there are still those of us who prefer our pools to be open-air. Neither my husband or myself are actually from Florida so we grew up not swimming in cages, lol.

I don't know much about the robots (we have a Kreepy Krauly) but it sounds like what they suck up just goes into an internal tank and not through the pool pipes? If that's the case it might be worth investing in.

 

[PoolGate]

Yes, most Florida people do have screens but there are still those of us who prefer our pools to be open-air. Neither my husband or myself are actually from Florida so we grew up not swimming in cages, lol.

I don't know much about the robots (we have a Kreepy Krauly) but it sounds like what they suck up just goes into an internal tank and not through the pool pipes? If that's the case it might be worth investing in.

Yes that is how they work. They plug into electric and you put them in the pool. They have a floating cord and take 2-3 hours to clean the pool climbing up walls too. I have the Polaris 9650iq. Dump it in and it does its thing.

 

[Flbeachluvr]

Yes that is how they work. They plug into electric and you put them in the pool. They have a floating cord and take 2-3 hours to clean the pool climbing up walls too. I have the Polaris 9650iq. Dump it in and it does its thing.

Yikes, those are expensive and waaayyyy out of our budget.

 

[PoolGate]

Yikes, those are expensive and waaayyyy out of our budget.

Ha ha yes they are really pricey. Too much for us as well but since we were already bankrupted by the pool installation we figured what's another $1500? In for a penny, in for a pound right?

 

[Flbeachluvr]

Ha ha yes they are really pricey. Too much for us as well but since we were already bankrupted by the pool installation we figured what's another $1500? In for a penny, in for a pound right?

Maybe if I'd gotten one as part of the pool installation but I doubt my husband would go for it now, after the fact. He's the ultimate low-tech guy and not your typical man when it comes to stuff like this. The pool is my "baby" and I can't stand stuff on the bottom while it doesn't bother my husband at all.

 

[setsailsoon]

Flbeach,

I'm currently VP of our HOA and it seems many FL communities have he 2 hardwood tree requirement. They can usually be placed anywhere on the property so it may be possible to move it or cut/replace at another location. Truth is this rule is ridiculous and we have a LOT of trouble with it. Most of our lots have very moist soil at times and we haven't found one single hardwood that does well and can handle the insects, fungal problems... another example of well-intention people that don't know the science before they make rules we all have to deal with. Several trees required by regulators are causing huge problems in Florida but I won't get into that here.

It seems the trees do better up north where you are (it's probably a slash pine). Since the problem is seasonal I'd go Matt's route or see if the family will let you move the tree/remove it. But I would try to do it with the ARC committee also in the loop. Also consider that unless you get rid of all of these trees in your area you'll probably still have the problem when winds kick up like they have been for most of this week.

I wish I could help more.

Chris

 

[Flbeachluvr]

Flbeach,

I'm currently VP of our HOA and it seems many FL communities have he 2 hardwood tree requirement. They can usually be placed anywhere on the property so it may be possible to move it or cut/replace at another location. Truth is this rule is ridiculous and we have a LOT of trouble with it. Most of our lots have very moist soil at times and we haven't found one single hardwood that does well and can handle the insects, fungal problems... another example of well-intention people that don't know the science before they make rules we all have to deal with. Several trees required by regulators are causing huge problems in Florida but I won't get into that here.

It seems the trees do better up north where you are (it's probably a slash pine). Since the problem is seasonal I'd go Matt's route or see if the family will let you move the tree/remove it. But I would try to do it with the ARC committee also in the loop. Also consider that unless you get rid of all of these trees in your area you'll probably still have the problem when winds kick up like they have been for most of this week.

I wish I could help more.

Chris

Honestly most people in our neighborhood immediately get rid of the trees in their backyards once their house is built (and without going through the HOA). If not immediately then they are gone once a pool is put in. Our neighbor's have a unique situation as they literally have no backyard so the trees are right on the waterline of the retention pond. The builder messed up and could barely squeeze a pool on to the lot so there's a giant stem wall almost right up against the pond and then these two trees are behind that on the corners. There's no way these trees could be replaced with anything else. We didn't really think about potential issues with the tree when we put in our pool as we thought they were evergreens but apparently they are not. I looked up slash pines and that's not what these are. I've never seen anything like them before, they almost have a redwood tree look to them.