Is it legal?????

[Chris By The River]

Hi Guys,
my local council cut down a lovely old tree ( I think it was Ash) a few months ago that was growing next to the road. They took away most of the 'rubbish' but left behind the trunk (2 1/2 ft diameter) in two pieces.
Question: if I cut pieces off it and take them away, am I stealing?
Chris.

 

[PAC]

Hi Chris,

I would just give the council a ring on Monday just to tell them about what you're planning. Sometimes they leave wood around for later conversion into bark chippings for paths and flower beds. Most of the trees they fell are simply burned but it's best to check first.

If you just chop it up without telling them, someone might spot you and report your car registration number to the police. :shock:

 

[Argee]

Question: if I cut pieces off it and take them away, am I stealing?

To answer the question: Yes. You'd need to show that the property was abandoned by the rightful owner, etc.

However, as PAC suggests, this can easily be overcome with a call to the Local Authority to see if it's OK.

Ray.

 

[Chris By The River]

Thanks guys - i'll call the council next week. It could be a long call trying to find someone to take responsibility but I don't want to see such a fine tree going to waste.
Regards, Chris

 

[Paul.J]

If your about and see the tree surgeons picking the logs up,which they usually do a few days later, just ask them.Just in case they do have a use for them.

 

[wizer]

If finding someone at the council is hard work (DAMHIKT) Send them a letter saying that you have moved it for safe keeping it and it will reside at your property for 6 weeks before being disposed of. This way you gave them suitable notice before you 'used it'.

 

[Chris By The River]

Forget Dunce - GENIUS !!!!! That's what i'll be doing and it'll save me an hour on the 'phone.
Thanks Wizer

 

[wizer]

Just remember to word it in such a way that it looks like you are doing them a favour. Also don't intimate in any way that you intend to turn it. Make sure you do keep it for the full 6 weeks. Getting nicked for log theft seems pretty unlikely, but in the true meaning of the law, it's possible and your fine would be more than the log's value. IMHO the council probably don't care one bit and the contractor who chopped it down is likely to be offering it to turners by leaving it there.

 

[Argee]

An hour on the telephone is better than an hour down the nick. If I'd happened upon anyone cutting and carrying away parts of a tree, when he obviously didn't work for the Council and then said that he was only "taking it away for safe-keeping" and was "going to write to the Council to tell them later," I'd go down the station and he'd come with me! I don't care if that sounds square or OTT, it's your choice, your risk.

Ray.

 

[wizer]

and Ray is far more qualified to comment than me. S'up to you.

 

[Oryxdesign]

An hour on the telephone is better than an hour down the nick. If I'd happened upon anyone cutting and carrying away parts of a tree, when he obviously didn't work for the Council and then said that he was only "taking it away for safe-keeping" and was "going to write to the Council to tell them later," I'd go down the station and he'd come with me! I don't care if that sounds square or OTT, it's your choice, your risk.

Ray.

Good point buy yourself a hi-viz jacket and hire an old transit van.

That's tongue in cheeck I wouldn't advocate anything illegal.

 

[duncanh]

And whilst you're contacting the council it might be worth asking them if they have a depot where they take large logs to dispose of them - my local council has it's parks division headquarters about a mile from my house and anyone is allowed to go and take wood for free (once you've let the site office know). The time I went it was mainly softwood but there were some pieces of pear

 

[Bob Chapman]

After they had cut some yew trees in a local cemetary, I rang the council and asked if I could take some of the wood. They were only too glad to let me as the more I took away, the less they had to. It will almost certainly be the highways department or the parks department that you need to contact. It took me about ten minutes to get permission.

Bob

 

[big soft moose]

An hour on the telephone is better than an hour down the nick. If I'd happened upon anyone cutting and carrying away parts of a tree, when he obviously didn't work for the Council and then said that he was only "taking it away for safe-keeping" and was "going to write to the Council to tell them later," I'd go down the station and he'd come with me! I don't care if that sounds square or OTT, it's your choice, your risk.

Ray.

a good point - if you aren't the landowner you have no right to remove the wood "for safe keeping" (excepting if you are police, Rights of way staff or one or two others which arent germane here)

another one is the assumption that the tree actually belongs to the council. If it was on a roadside or next to a path it is quite possible that the council are only acting to protect the highwey or right of way and the wood actually belongs to a third party landowner.

If this is the case you wont get the council to give you permission as it isnt theirs - but if you can find out who the landowner is you can ask them direct which may well be less hassle than an hour on the phone to the council

 

[digazz]

borrow a mates car/van and just take the thing, it will be splitting by now. Oh, and wear some hippy/crusty clothes (and maybe a dreadlock wig), when the council are notified theyy go looking for a camp fire somewhere...

 

[Wanlock Dod]

If the council have any intention of discarding the wood then it's waste and surely leaving it lying around is flytipping. Report it to the EA and they'll ensure it is landfilled I would imagine :?

Dod