Wood in street: free for taking--OUTCOME

[thinkxingu]

Hey All,
On the street one over, there are a few trees that came down in the storm last week. Question: they are literally in the road (except for the roots/trunk, which is in the owners' yards). After two weeks, can I assume it's free for undertaking, our should I still ask? I was thinking I'd be doing them a favor, but I'm also thinking I'd feel weird just driving over and off with it!

S

OUTCOME: So I left the homeowner a note and heard back yesterday--he said to come on by and take what I wanted, but that a set of trees to one side was on the property line (ok, since they're too far from the road). Got there today, and most of the brush had been taken--looks like town came by and took all the scraps, leaving me a bunch of nice wood. In two hours (361 really does cure cancer), had it all cut to length and ready to be picked up tomorrow (only about 1/8 mile away) with 2 piles of twigs/leftovers for owner (I'll probably take those to the landfill for him).

All-in-all, I estimate about 1.5-2 cords of oak/maple and the extra day waiting for the owner response saved me a whole lot of crappy work. Oh, and he'll be talking to the neighbor across from him to see if I can have the two down maples in their front yard. So sweet.

 

[daveswoodhauler]

I would ask them for it, they might be pleased that you would take it away for them..may lead to more.
I think you should always ask.

 

[egclassic]

I can't believe any town would leave(or allow) trees in the road for two weeks, unless it is a rural area. I would still ask also.

 

[Joey]

Agreed. Ask.

 

[thinkxingu]

Ok, so I've driven by at least a dozen times, and nobody's been home. What if it's vacant?

S

 

[jdinspector]

It's a safety hazard! You should remove it right away.

 

[billb3]

In our town, wood left at the edge of the road was likely cut by the road dept. (highway department)
They often leave it for a week (unless it will be a hazard or it's in front of one of the Selectman's homes) to magically disappear. If it's not gone in a week it eventually gets loaded into a town truck and gets hauled off.

You should call the highway department and ask though.
Here you get an answer like " we don't ask where it goes " or "it will take about a week before we take that to the dump, if it is gone it is gone". You won't get permission to take it nor will you be told you can't. They do what they have to to avoid both whiners at town meeting and elected officials at town meeting and in between.

Sometimes tree cutting is done purposely for the power company and the contractor who is doing the cutting for Nstar may have plans for it.
I'd take it anyway ( even quicker if it is Nstar itself doing the work )

 

[daveswoodhauler]

Ok, so I've driven by at least a dozen times, and nobody's been home. What if it's vacant?

S

You can leave a note/letter for them on the door...tape to the outside so you can see it. Explain to them quickly and politely that you heat with wood and would like the wood to heat your home. Wait a few days, if the note is gone and you don't hear from them, then the answer is probably no....if yes they might call you.....if the note is still there after a few days then they are probably not there.

 

[shawneyboy]

It is owned by someone. I would always ask. If you suspect that no one lives there, is there a neighbor near by? Knock on their door and see what you can find out.

 

[midwestcoast]

Around here there are tons of vacant properties and no resources to deal with them so neighbors often take it upon themselves to keep yards cut...
If I saw this situation at a place I KNEW was vacant I would talk to a neighbor or 2 to see if the owners or a landscaping co. ever come by to mantain the yard... Neighbors may even have the owners #. If the place is pretty run-down & no-one ever sees owners I'd just take it & clean up afterwards knowing there's a slight chance of pissing someone off but a good chance that nearby neighbors will be happy you're taking care of an eyesore. Leaving uglies & brush all over = not neighborly.
If I lived somewhere else I'd prob look at it differently.

 

[LLigetfa]

Inquire with the neighbors and the municipality.

 

[thinkxingu]

Thanks for the viewpoints- I decided to just take it and, while there, I went scouting around and took down a couple trees that looked like good wood.

Just kidding- there was a dog, so I assumed people are there. I left a note.

S

 

[Danno77]

If there are trees down in the road and owners can't be found, then I certainly wouldn't perpetuate their ownership in properties they can't maintain. Complain to the city, the city will likely contract a tree service that must pay its workers Prevailing wages, the city will bill the owners, the owners won't pay, the city will put a lien on the property and then you can buy the house on cheap at an auction. THEN you can have the wood in those yards...

Now, if you can get licensed insured and whatever else it takes for one month, then you can offer to do the job for the city and then charge them to give you firewood. Can't beat that deal, but you probably would just break even...

 

[Gary_602z]

Would it be different if the wood was on your property and someone came and got it? In Michigan we own and pay taxes to the center of the road. It maybe different where you are at.

Gary

 

[NH_Wood]

Ok, so I've driven by at least a dozen times, and nobody's been home. What if it's vacant?

S

If vacant, I'd go to town and apologize if necessary. If habited, definitely ask! Cheers!

 

[babzog]

Only time I would ask is if it's clearly not on the county or municipality's road allowance and/or it's in front of someone's house. If it's just along the road, lying in the ditch, it's up for grabs.

 

[Gary_602z]

Only time I would ask is if it's clearly not on the county or municipality's road allowance and/or it's in front of someone's house. If it's just along the road, lying in the ditch, it's up for grabs.

That would get you shot in our neck of the woods! :lol:

Gary

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Always ask first. If the place is vacant then ask the city about it. If the owner just is away when you are there, leave him a note. Or perhaps knock on some doors in that neighborhood and ask questions.

 

[babzog]

Only time I would ask is if it's clearly not on the county or municipality's road allowance and/or it's in front of someone's house. If it's just along the road, lying in the ditch, it's up for grabs.

That would get you shot in our neck of the woods! :lol:

Gary

People get shot for poking around on road allowances? Here, road allowances are legal to be accessed by the public. Might be pure bush (no trails) but you're allowed on it. Not one inch over, mind you and you might get grief from the adjoining landowner(s) (ie: if there are no trails and would otherwise be considered part of the property, such as it was as my place growing up) and but it's legal.

 

[firefighterjake]

Firm believer in the "always ask" principle . . . I ended up having to chase down a large elm that the Town dropped for me that was beside the roadway . . . it was there for a few days and I had started to work on it with the intentions to finish off the work the following weekend . . . arrived home to find it MIA . . . but thanks to my alert neighbor and being in a small town I knew who had taken the wood and being the nice guy I am (well that and the guy made an honest mistake and did end up cutting up some of the larger pieces of the wood) I split the wood 50-50 with him.

Definitely let us know the outcome.

 

[thinkxingu]

See original post for outcome--I never know whether to add here or there.

Peace!

S

 

[thinkxingu]

PPS Since I only burn 1.5 cords/year, this should put be somewhere in the 4-5 years ahead category! I'll post pics of the full woodshed this weekend, when it's done.

S

 

[Gasifier]

Nice score man! Good for you. How the fires burning for you? Had any heat demand yet?

 

[thinkxingu]

We've been burning weekends (though it has been unseasonably warm), and we needed to burn the week of the storm outage.

S

 

[shawneyboy]

OUTCOME: So I left the homeowner a note and heard back yesterday--he said to come on by and take what I wanted, but that a set of trees to one side was on the property line (ok, since they're too far from the road). Got there today, and most of the brush had been taken--looks like town came by and took all the scraps, leaving me a bunch of nice wood. In two hours (361 really does cure cancer), had it all cut to length and ready to be picked up tomorrow (only about 1/8 mile away) with 2 piles of twigs/leftovers for owner (I'll probably take those to the landfill for him).

All-in-all, I estimate about 1.5-2 cords of oak/maple and the extra day waiting for the owner response saved me a whole lot of crappy work. Oh, and he'll be talking to the neighbor across from him to see if I can have the two down maples in their front yard. So sweet.

Nice haul and asking will get you some more. WTG. You would be surprised how many times, asking leads to more wood than you thought was available, it has happened to me at least a few times.