In Which TBG is Alternately Sad and Angry
Sep. 21st, 2007 11:42 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
thebitterguyOkay, lemme start at the beginning.
No, that would take too long. Lemme 'splain.
Cynra and I bought our house based on several decision points. One of them was the delightful basement, which with its disco era wood panelling and unique carpet choice would make it a perfect gaming space (except for several decades worth of teaching supplies scattered about).
Another was its location in a nice part of Milton. One of the kickers was the backyard. The yard is nice and big, with a big privacy screen between us and the neighbours (which has begun to fall to entropy, as well as gravity) and a huge willow tree, which I've had fantasies of clearing the grass from beneath it, laying rocks, and parking underneath in a hammock with whatever I'm reading that day.
Simple fantasies, but I'm a simple guy.
Anyway. The tree has seen better days. It's a big tree, mind you. Probably as old as I am (which is about as old as the house is). But it's taken a few shots from the sky, in the form of 1.21 gigawatt electrical bursts.
Anyway, getting it trimmed has been on our "to do" list, right behind getting the driveway redone (done!).
Well, this summer, we had a sudden expense come up. The AC crapped out on us in June (and anyone who wants to say "well, it wasn't that hot a summer" can kiss my humidity wrinkled heinie), so we've been kind of sweltering for the past few months. A few guys have come by to tell us various things, and we've decided to go with the Sears guy because he told us the most.
Anyway, that's now a new, fairly significant expense we'll have to deal with for the next year or so. So I applied my final Hobbystar cheque for the GST and we'll be putting pretty much all our money into it. Hopefully it will actually save us enough money on our gas & electric that we won't be bankrupted. I wanted to go through Just Geothermal, but have you priced a ground source heat pump lately? Holy Moley. Maybe if we could refi the house to buy it, but not in this case.
Anyway. New furnace and AC (the originals were both in their third decade of service).
So, last week we get a storm coming through. As usual, some deadwood needs to be picked up afterwards. The nextdoor neighbour comes by and claims her nino was almost struck by a falling branch off the willow during the storm. The main question ("What the fuck was your kid doing in the backyard during the windstorm?") didn't get asked, but we reassured her the tree was a priority.
So. Apparently, that's not enough for her. Because shortly afterwards, we get a visit from our local Bylaw Enforcement Officer. I wonder who he got THAT commission from.
The little low-level martinet writes up his report, slips his card into the doorframe, and leaves his report on our neighbour's lawn. Christ, what an idiot.
Apparently, he wants us to clean up the tree, either trimming it back or cutting it down entirely.
Fuck.
We found this out, once again, from a letter he left on our neighbour's lawn. Okay, he mailed us a copy too. So we have two letters, one delivered by registered mail, the other left on our neighbour's lawn.
So, we've been contacting some of the local arbourists to find out what it'll set us back to trim the tree. A few hundred, right? Pop it on the Visa, and no whoop, done.
Heh.
First quote was delivered yesterday. $3600.
Amusing thought: WE DON'T HAVE THAT KIND OF MONEY LYING AROUND. I don't know if we have that much available on credit right now.
Fuck.
Actually, the title lied. I'm mostly angry.
So. If we're lucky, that's just a crazy stupid quote. Or maybe I just get a chainsaw.
No, that would take too long. Lemme 'splain.
Cynra and I bought our house based on several decision points. One of them was the delightful basement, which with its disco era wood panelling and unique carpet choice would make it a perfect gaming space (except for several decades worth of teaching supplies scattered about).
Another was its location in a nice part of Milton. One of the kickers was the backyard. The yard is nice and big, with a big privacy screen between us and the neighbours (which has begun to fall to entropy, as well as gravity) and a huge willow tree, which I've had fantasies of clearing the grass from beneath it, laying rocks, and parking underneath in a hammock with whatever I'm reading that day.
Simple fantasies, but I'm a simple guy.
Anyway. The tree has seen better days. It's a big tree, mind you. Probably as old as I am (which is about as old as the house is). But it's taken a few shots from the sky, in the form of 1.21 gigawatt electrical bursts.
Anyway, getting it trimmed has been on our "to do" list, right behind getting the driveway redone (done!).
Well, this summer, we had a sudden expense come up. The AC crapped out on us in June (and anyone who wants to say "well, it wasn't that hot a summer" can kiss my humidity wrinkled heinie), so we've been kind of sweltering for the past few months. A few guys have come by to tell us various things, and we've decided to go with the Sears guy because he told us the most.
Anyway, that's now a new, fairly significant expense we'll have to deal with for the next year or so. So I applied my final Hobbystar cheque for the GST and we'll be putting pretty much all our money into it. Hopefully it will actually save us enough money on our gas & electric that we won't be bankrupted. I wanted to go through Just Geothermal, but have you priced a ground source heat pump lately? Holy Moley. Maybe if we could refi the house to buy it, but not in this case.
Anyway. New furnace and AC (the originals were both in their third decade of service).
So, last week we get a storm coming through. As usual, some deadwood needs to be picked up afterwards. The nextdoor neighbour comes by and claims her nino was almost struck by a falling branch off the willow during the storm. The main question ("What the fuck was your kid doing in the backyard during the windstorm?") didn't get asked, but we reassured her the tree was a priority.
So. Apparently, that's not enough for her. Because shortly afterwards, we get a visit from our local Bylaw Enforcement Officer. I wonder who he got THAT commission from.
The little low-level martinet writes up his report, slips his card into the doorframe, and leaves his report on our neighbour's lawn. Christ, what an idiot.
Apparently, he wants us to clean up the tree, either trimming it back or cutting it down entirely.
Fuck.
We found this out, once again, from a letter he left on our neighbour's lawn. Okay, he mailed us a copy too. So we have two letters, one delivered by registered mail, the other left on our neighbour's lawn.
So, we've been contacting some of the local arbourists to find out what it'll set us back to trim the tree. A few hundred, right? Pop it on the Visa, and no whoop, done.
Heh.
First quote was delivered yesterday. $3600.
Amusing thought: WE DON'T HAVE THAT KIND OF MONEY LYING AROUND. I don't know if we have that much available on credit right now.
Fuck.
Actually, the title lied. I'm mostly angry.
So. If we're lucky, that's just a crazy stupid quote. Or maybe I just get a chainsaw.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2007-09-21 03:55 pm (UTC)How much trimming does the city want you to do?
Make sure they don't require a professional to do it.
no subject
Date: 2007-09-21 04:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-21 08:54 pm (UTC)(a) be very very careful
(b) make sure your neighbours know it's being done and are not in their backyard at the time
(c) be very very careful
no subject
Date: 2007-09-21 09:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-21 04:02 pm (UTC)If it's just trimming you're probably better off learning how do to it yourself.
no subject
Date: 2007-09-21 04:18 pm (UTC)We have a big dead tree in our backyard, right next to the powerlines. I've known that we need to get it out before winter- I don't want to see what a big storm does to it. A landscape company spotted it the other day and gave us a call about removal.
The quote? $275.
More than I'd like to spend, but manageable, and a damn bit better than a trim.
Hopefully something more sane comes in.
no subject
Date: 2007-09-21 04:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-21 07:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-21 05:02 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-21 05:14 pm (UTC)BG! Can you appeal the city's order? It might not succeed, but the appeals process might grant you some time as the wheels grind to decide what to do, and to whom it should be done.
I'm no red-tape ninja, but becoming versed in ways to play the city's bureaucracy against itself might be a useful life skill, I'm thinking.
just sayin...
Date: 2007-09-21 05:29 pm (UTC)Re: just sayin...
Date: 2007-09-21 05:50 pm (UTC)Re: just sayin...
Date: 2007-09-21 06:26 pm (UTC)Re: just sayin...
Date: 2007-09-21 06:36 pm (UTC)I know I got at least one other vote. Thank you, Mr. Science!
It is done!
Date: 2007-09-21 06:46 pm (UTC)Well, your soul, really.
no subject
Date: 2007-09-21 05:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-21 06:35 pm (UTC)And it's Giga. Dammit.
no subject
Date: 2007-09-21 09:16 pm (UTC)If you chop the branches off, and then the tree down, will it fall on your house? If so, do not chop it down yourself. If not, go grab a chainsaw.
no subject
Date: 2007-09-21 09:31 pm (UTC)I'd prefer it just be trimmed, but that would require people with equipment more than a two metre ladder.
no subject
Date: 2007-09-21 10:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-22 05:54 am (UTC)Have you thought about using Arborist Apprentices from one of the ontario Horticulture schools? They come with a certified aurborist instructor.