While Ohio law allows you to trim branches at the property line, you can't saw down the dead tree next door that could fall on your house. First, try to encourage the neighbor to get a certified arborist or a consulting arborist to check the tree, said Victor Merullo, a Columbus lawyer and tree-law expert who lectures across the country. If that doesn't work, hire an arborist for an assessment. Send a copy of the report to the neighbor by registered mail along with a letter telling him that he should notify his insurance company of the hazard. The insurance company may decline coverage caused by a known hazard.
Trees are lovely, useful and sometimes deadly.
A Scioto County woman was killed in March when a tree fell on her passing car. Fortunately, such incidents are hardly common, but property owners need to be aware that they have a responsibility to maintain their trees. The courts have ruled that nature isn't always to blame when a tree falls. And, there's no telling when a troubled tree will lose its fight with gravity. There was little or no wind when a roadside tree fell March 21, killing Dana Floyd McCloud of Lucasville.