City of Dallas Park & Recreation

hat should a citizen do if he or she has a concern involving a tree?

First determine ownership of the tree. Privately owned trees are the responsibility of the property owner. Refer to http://www.dallascityhall.com/html/park_and_recreation.html for information to help you maintain your tree properly or to select a professional arborist.

If the tree is on a parkway or City-owned property, a citizen may choose to contact the City of Dallas for assistance by calling the 311 system at, (214) 670-5111 or contacting a representative on-line at http://311.dallascityhall.com/index.html. Be prepared to provide the street address of the tree, describe the concern, identify if the tree presents a public hazard, and identify if the situation is an emergency or if it requires immediate attention. Provide contact information for the adjacent owner and/or other concerned citizens.

The code enforcement department will confirm the nature of the concern and recommend an appropriate remedy. The property owner may be issued a notice of violation and given a time period to correct the concern. If the concern is not corrected in the appropriate time period, the code enforcement department may take appropriate action to provide a remedy.

Who is responsible for maintaining trees?
Section 48-11 of the City of Dallas Municipal Code specifies the following:

Every person owning, occupying, or in control of property shall, at the person’s own expense, remove any dead, diseased, or damaged tree from the parkway abutting the property owned, occupied, or controlled by the person.
The park department may remove a dead, diseased, or damaged tree from a parkway at the request of the owner, occupant, or person in control of the abutting property or upon failure of the owner, occupant, or person in control of the abutting property to remove the tree after being issued a notice of removal by the park department. The fee for removal of a dead, diseased, or damaged tree from a parkway is $75
For purposes of this section, parkway means the area along a public street between the curb and the sidewalk.

City of Dallas Municipal Code, Section 18-14, obstructions. The occupant or owner is responsible for keeping the street, alley, sidewalk and public grounds clear of obstructions. This includes the trimming of trees, shrubbery and vines which may obstruct any vehicle traveling through an alley, or which may obstruct a sidewalk or street or other public grounds. Additionally, sidewalks must have a height clearance of 8 feet – streets and alleys must have 15 feet of overhead clearance. Take advantage of the City’s Bulky Trash Program by trimming trees and shrubbery to coincide with your legal Bulky Trash Week. More information is available through the Code Compliance Department.

City of Dallas Municipal Code, Chapter 27, Article III, Section 27-11 states that an owner shall,…(5) remove dead trees and tree limbs that are reasonably capable of injury to a person.

Ownership determines whether the City of Dallas may be involved in tree maintenance or removal work. Ownership is determined by where the trunk of the tree originates at the ground. Even if the branches are overhanging an adjacent property owner, the origination point determines ownership. An adjacent property owner may prune limbs overhanging his property; however he should consult and reach an agreement with the tree owner prior to work starting.