Proud guardian of your yard for many years, today, your tree is attacked by disease and threatens to collapse on your home?
Your first reflex will probably be to contact a tree cutting company to get rid of the tree efficiently and safely. But are you familiar with the regulations on tree felling?
Although your reflex is excellent, the fact remains that you must first contact the people in charge of your municipality to obtain a felling certificate of authorization, because no one can cut a tree on the spur of the moment.
Too old, not beautiful enough, too high, obstructing vision, too many leaves on the ground, the reasons are multiple and unfortunately not always justified. That’s why there are tree felling regulations in force in each of Quebec’s cities.
What are the conditions for felling a tree?
Whether you live in Montreal, Longueuil or even Laval, municipal bylaws are clear about the care and felling of trees on their respective territories. Although the rules may differ slightly from one municipality to another, the conditions remain essentially the same. To be authorized to fell one of your trees in and around Montreal, you must meet the following criteria:
The tree…
- could cause serious damage or harm to persons or property.
- is dead, shows irreversible dieback or has a disease for which recognized control measures cannot be applied and where felling is the only recommended intervention.
- is a nuisance to the growth of neighbouring trees of greater monetary value.
- is located on the siting of a building to be built.
* Source: Condition en vigueur sur l’île de Montréal
Legal procedures: certificate of authorization for tree felling
Once you have decided to remove one of your trees, the next step is to go to the permit and inspection office of your borough (if you live in Montreal) or your municipality. In order to facilitate procedures and prove that you are familiar with the regulations for felling trees, have the following documents handy:
- A copy of the property certificate of location indicating the diameter and location of the tree for which the certificate is requested;
- A picture of the tree;
- A proxy of the owner when the application is filed by an agent
Thereafter, a professional in the field, i. e. a forestry engineer, agronomist, arborist or any other expert deemed appropriate, will carry out a visual inspection to validate that the owner’s request is justified.
Following this process, you will then be able to contact a professional tree felling team such as ours. At Émondage SBP, our experts will fell your tree safely, quickly and efficiently.
Tree cutting penalties
You should also be aware that there are penalties for violating the laws governing tree felling. You may be liable for a fine of $500 or more. This amount can be up to $15,000. The figures are doubled if there is a repeat offence.
Tree felling regulations have important issues to address. This article gives you an overview. At Émondage SBP we are aware of the law governing the sector in which we work. That’s why we recommend that you use our professional services. We will be pleased to advise you appropriately. Don’t hesitate to contact us.
