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Toluca Lake and Burbank Home Owners - Hug Your Trees

By
Real Estate Agent with Ramsey-Shilling Associates 01831063

Toluca Lake and Burbank Home Owners - Hug Your TreesTree Down in Toluca Lake

While that statement might seem a bit earthy-crunchy or unusual, I am not being facetious. Greg Thorpe, a home owner in Toluca Lake, recently went through a dramatic experience which may cause him and his neighbors to look at the towering, almost century-old trees in the area a little more closely. A number of weeks ago on a Friday evening, Mr. Thorpe was relaxing in his Toluca Estates home. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary - it was simply another windy evening during springtime in Los Angeles. Suddenly, without warning, the house began to shake. Did the San Andreas fault give way and was this The Big One? No. Instead, the massive ancient maple in his front yard was toppling; the high winds bringing the stately old tree to the end of its life cycle.

 

The volume was ear-splitting and when the dust settled, the Thorpes were lucky. The tree's huge canopy and giant trunk fell away from the house, crushing a bench, part of a brick wall and lighting fixture but sparing the home from what could have been virtually total destruction. The force of the collapse ripped monster roots out of the soil leaving a jumbled mess of a pit in the yard; part of a giant limb impaled the ground like a knife through butter. Thank goodness the Thorpe's daughter was not visiting as her car would have been parked in the line of fire. Once nerves settled and the new day broke, examination of the downed tree showed black rot through and through. Little did they know, these home owners had a ticking time bomb in their yard. The moral of the story is: pay attention to your trees - hug them on occasion if you will.

 

Here in the Toluca Lake and Burbank communities of the San Fernando Valley we are blessed with many of these wonders of Mother Nature. Watch for signs of disease and rot. Prune back limbs that could cause imbalance and have a qualified arborist examine your trees if you're not sure. The Thorpes, indeed, were lucky. You may not be. As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Toluca Lake Trees

 

Posted by

Toluca Lake Real Estate Agent

Risa Liebster, Realtor BRE #01831063 | Ramsey-Shilling Associates 818.397.9188

Toluca Lake - San Fernando Valley - Los Angeles Real Estate www.TolucaLakeRealEstate.net | www.TheHillsandValley.com

If you or someone you know is looking to purchase or sell real estate in Toluca Lake, Hollywood Hills, Burbank, Studio City or an adjacent area of Los Angeles, California / the San Fernando Valley please don't hesitate to contact me. I would love to help make your dreams come true!

 

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Comments (4)

Tim Lorenz
TIM LORENZ - Elite Home Sales Team - Mission Viejo, CA
949 874-2247

I once had a 75 foot tall pine that had a base about 3 feet thick go down in my front yard.  It fell across the side street and blocked the street and did not fall on the house.  I was lucky.

 

May 25, 2010 06:22 PM
Risa Liebster
Ramsey-Shilling Associates - Los Angeles, CA
Toluca Lake Real Estate

Tim - That WAS lucky - wait 'til you see the photos once the server issue is repaired - amazing!

May 25, 2010 06:51 PM
Elite Home Sales Team
Elite Home Sales Team OC - Corona del Mar, CA
A Tenacious and Skilled Real Estate Team

Both of the trees falling sounds like it could have been much worse.

May 25, 2010 06:59 PM
Risa Liebster
Ramsey-Shilling Associates - Los Angeles, CA
Toluca Lake Real Estate

Elite Team - Timber!

May 25, 2010 07:26 PM