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Albemarle Road church fined $100 per branch for excessive tree pruning Read more:

Renae

Renae

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Every two to three years, Eddie Sales trims and prunes the crape myrtles at his church, Albemarle Road Presbyterian Church.

But this year, the city of Charlotte cited the church for improperly pruning its trees.

"We always keep our trees trimmed back because you don't want to worry about them hanging down in the way," said Sales, a church member.

The church was fined $100 per branch cut for excessive pruning, bringing the violation to $4,000.



Read more: Albemarle Road church fined $100 per branch for excessive tree pruning | CharlotteObserver.com & The Charlotte Observer Newspaper
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It get's better:

"The purpose of the tree ordinance is to protect trees," Johnson said. "Charlotte has always been known as the city of trees. When we take down trees, we need to replace these trees."

Individuals who would like to trim their trees should call the city foresters to receive a free permit to conduct the landscape work.

Foresters will then meet with the person receiving the permit and give instructions on how to properly trim their trees, Johnson said.

The state Division of Forestry recommends that anyone trimming trees should be certified by the National Horticulture Board, but certification is not required to receive a permit.



Read more: Albemarle Road church fined $100 per branch for excessive tree pruning | CharlotteObserver.com & The Charlotte Observer Newspaper
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YOU'RE TOO STUPID TO PRUNE TREES!!!!!


Madness, beyond madness.
 
Re: Albemarle Road church fined $100 per branch for excessive tree pruning Read mo

Hopefully that church fights it. Trees are the property of the persons who owns land that those trees are on,so the city has no business telling them how they can and can not trim their trees. If the property owner wants to cut the trees down then that is the property owner's business. If the property own wants to trim it back to the trunk then that is the property owner's business,not the city's. The only time a city might have any business regarding the trees on someone's property is if that tree is dead and will fall on someone waling on the sidewalk or on a motorist.
 
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Re: Albemarle Road church fined $100 per branch for excessive tree pruning Read mo

jamesrage said:
Hopefully that church fights it. Trees are the property of the persons who owns land that those trees are on,so the city has no business telling them how they can and can not trim their trees. The only time a city might have any business regarding the trees on someone's property is if that tree is dead and will fall on someone waling on the sidewalk or on a motorist.
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Did you read the part that said the state forestry division wants people to have certifications, before being able to prune trees.
Ridiculous. :roll:
 
Re: Albemarle Road church fined $100 per branch for excessive tree pruning Read mo

Harry Guerrilla said:
Did you read the part that said the state forestry division wants people to have certifications, before being able to prune trees.
Ridiculous. :roll:
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That's even more idiotic. What next do they want everyone to have certification to mow grass or garden?
 
Re: Albemarle Road church fined $100 per branch for excessive tree pruning Read mo

Harry Guerrilla said:
Did you read the part that said the state forestry division wants people to have certifications, before being able to prune trees.
Ridiculous. :roll:
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The damned thing is ridiculous. There is no call for this sort of... micro-managing. The people tho, are to blame. Until they stand up and demand, and elect folks that will over turn this stupidity, they have only themselves to blame.
 
Re: Albemarle Road church fined $100 per branch for excessive tree pruning Read mo

MrVicchio said:
The damned thing is ridiculous. There is no call for this sort of... micro-managing. The people tho, are to blame. Until they stand up and demand, and elect folks that will over turn this stupidity, they have only themselves to blame.
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When it comes to retarded stuff like this the people may not even be aware that their elected officials did something like this until its too late.
 
Re: Albemarle Road church fined $100 per branch for excessive tree pruning Read mo

This sounds like enviro-retarded Germany, not America.

.
 
Re: Albemarle Road church fined $100 per branch for excessive tree pruning Read mo

jamesrage said:
Hopefully that church fights it. Trees are the property of the persons who owns land that those trees are on,so the city has no business telling them how they can and can not trim their trees. If the property owner wants to cut the trees down then that is the property owner's business. If the property own wants to trim it back to the trunk then that is the property owner's business,not the city's. The only time a city might have any business regarding the trees on someone's property is if that tree is dead and will fall on someone waling on the sidewalk or on a motorist.
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While I agree with this sentiment, the ordinance about trimming the trees has been on the books since 1978. Even stupid laws are the law.
I don't think that crepe myrtles were a part of the original intent of the ordinance when it was passed.
 
Re: Albemarle Road church fined $100 per branch for excessive tree pruning Read mo

:doh Why is it local councils always have the stupidest laws?
 
Re: Albemarle Road church fined $100 per branch for excessive tree pruning Read mo

Simon W. Moon said:
While I agree with this sentiment, the ordinance about trimming the trees has been on the books since 1978. Even stupid laws are the law.
I don't think that crepe myrtles were a part of the original intent of the ordinance when it was passed.
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Trees are the property of who ever owns the property.So its none of the city,state or federal governments business what a church or any other property does with a tree on its property. They can cut it down,make it look like a dog, trim it down to the just the trunk its none of the government's business period. It would be like them dictating where in your house you can position your tv or couch.
 
Re: Albemarle Road church fined $100 per branch for excessive tree pruning Read mo

MrVicchio said:
The damned thing is ridiculous. There is no call for this sort of... micro-managing. The people tho, are to blame. Until they stand up and demand, and elect folks that will over turn this stupidity, they have only themselves to blame.
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Thing to remember is that councils pass these kinds of laws because the people want them. There is popular demand for this kind of ridiculous meddling.

So it's really even more the peoples' fault than you realize.
 
Re: Albemarle Road church fined $100 per branch for excessive tree pruning Read mo

Viktyr Korimir said:
Thing to remember is that councils pass these kinds of laws because the people want them. There is popular demand for this kind of ridiculous meddling.

So it's really even more the peoples' fault than you realize.
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I am not sure the people even realized their city council even passed such an idiotic ordinance and probably not made aware of the fact until a story like this comes up or they get fined for pruning their trees or bushes. The more local the election the less of a registered voter turnout and most people do not go to city council meetings.
 
Re: Albemarle Road church fined $100 per branch for excessive tree pruning Read mo

jamesrage said:
I am not sure the people even realized their city council even passed such an idiotic ordinance and probably not made aware of the fact until a story like this comes up or they get fined for pruning their trees or bushes. The more local the election the less of a registered voter turnout and most people do not go to city council meetings.
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I agree, there's a little too much democracy in this country in some ways, people just don't have the time to meaningfully participate in it which leaves only those "fantical" about protecting trees or whatever else as the only ones who vote or influnce city gov't.
 
Re: Albemarle Road church fined $100 per branch for excessive tree pruning Read mo

It seems to me that the basic premise here (and it has to be) is that the governmnet of Charlotte owns all of the trees in the city. Not the individual who owns the land that the trees sit upon.

Wonder what else the government owns...
 
Re: Albemarle Road church fined $100 per branch for excessive tree pruning Read mo

This has to be one of the dumbest things I've ever heard. Their property, their trees, they should be allowed to do what they want with them.
 
Re: Albemarle Road church fined $100 per branch for excessive tree pruning Read mo

jamesrage said:
That's even more idiotic. What next do they want everyone to have certification to mow grass or garden?
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Well, so much for the summer mowing business for 13-year-olds... I made tons of money as a kid mowing lawns... Today, I would probably get cited like the kid a few months ago cited for selling lemonade without a permit...

More government silliness...
 
Re: Albemarle Road church fined $100 per branch for excessive tree pruning Read mo

Wiseone said:
I agree, there's a little too much democracy in this country in some ways, people just don't have the time to meaningfully participate in it which leaves only those "fantical" about protecting trees or whatever else as the only ones who vote or influnce city gov't.
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Wouldn't you love to be in small New England towns that still use the town meeting form of government???
 
Re: Albemarle Road church fined $100 per branch for excessive tree pruning Read mo

jamesrage said:
Trees are the property of who ever owns the property.So its none of the city,state or federal governments business what a church or any other property does with a tree on its property. They can cut it down,make it look like a dog, trim it down to the just the trunk its none of the government's business period. It would be like them dictating where in your house you can position your tv or couch.
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Nno, it's not exactly like that. As I said, I don't think that crepe myrtles are the intended target of the ordinance. I think it was written to cover oaks and elms. If you notice, public safety is cited as the reason for the ordinance. Large trees can have large impacts on others, so there is some reason as to why they could fall under the purview of local ordinances. Whereas the location of my TV is unlikely to have any adverse impact on neighbors or passers by.

I think that the church should argue that the crepe myrtles are legally bushes the same way that tomatoes are legally vegetables.
 
Re: Albemarle Road church fined $100 per branch for excessive tree pruning Read mo

ludahai said:
Wouldn't you love to be in small New England towns that still use the town meeting form of government???
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No because a small town or moderate sized city like Charleston only has enough authority to affect trival matters, things that actually matter are already handled at a higher level, which means people aren't interested in local gov't because its all trival, which means only those who have a strong interest in trival stuff, like how to prune trees, actually participate in city gov't.
 
Re: Albemarle Road church fined $100 per branch for excessive tree pruning Read mo

Wiseone said:
No because a small town or moderate sized city like Charleston only has enough authority to affect trival matters, things that actually matter are already handled at a higher level, which means people aren't interested in local gov't because its all trival, which means only those who have a strong interest in trival stuff, like how to prune trees, actually participate in city gov't.
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Then you don't know much about how participatory democracy works in small New England towns...
 
Re: Albemarle Road church fined $100 per branch for excessive tree pruning Read mo

ludahai said:
Then you don't know much about how participatory democracy works in small New England towns...
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I thought you were just using that phrase as a metaphor for any small city government, but no I don't have any experience with that form of government anywhere let alone New England. If you enlighten me I may provide a new opinion.
 
Re: Albemarle Road church fined $100 per branch for excessive tree pruning Read mo

Ah bureaucracy. Love that word
 
Re: Albemarle Road church fined $100 per branch for excessive tree pruning Read mo

spud_meister said:
:doh Why is it local councils always have the stupidest laws?
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Because local councils have the dumbest people.
 
Re: Albemarle Road church fined $100 per branch for excessive tree pruning Read mo

Wiseone said:
I thought you were just using that phrase as a metaphor for any small city government, but no I don't have any experience with that form of government anywhere let alone New England. If you enlighten me I may provide a new opinion.
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New Hampshirites are generally very politically active and the annual town meetings where I grew up actually drew a majority of the voting age population, who then debated the issues of the town and voted on them, to be carried out by the mayor and his administration in accordance with the wishes of the people. Some towns make use of town councils as well. It is not uniform from town to town.
 
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