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Found a hollow tree on a listing that should have fallen years ago
I was showing a house near Oak Creek last spring, and the old maple in the backyard looked fine from the street. But when I walked closer to check the fence line, I noticed a crack at the base that went up about 4 feet. I tapped it with a metal rod I keep in my truck, and the sound was hollow, real hollow, like knocking on a drum. The homeowner said the tree had been there for 40 years and never gave them trouble. I called a certified arborist friend to look at it, and he found the center was almost completely rotted out, just a shell holding up maybe 30 percent of the crown. He said one good windstorm could have dropped it right onto the bedroom wing of the house. Cost the seller $900 to take it down before closing, but that beat a lawsuit later. Has anyone else caught a dangerous tree on a property inspection that the owner swore was fine?
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casey3425d ago
Used to shrug off hollow trees, now I always tap them.
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