Danger - Beware of Torrey Pines

[user52165]

Well not the beautiful golf course where the Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego is just beginning today...... on the Golf Channel. This Monday a torrey pine fell in nearby Point Loma - 75 years old, 100 ft high, weighing 20 tons. A couple in an upstairs bedroom, a rental BnB was killed, a downstairs relative survived.

The overwhelming opinion is that unlike the golf course, that tree did not have sufficient ground to support a large tree. In a densely built area, not native to the neighborhood. The root structure was compromised.

Read this:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torrey_pine

The lawyers are preparing their cases.

 

[slo town]

Let them sue God. Living is dangerous.

Scott

 

[DoubleWasp]

Didn't Marty take out one of those things with Doc's DeLorean? Didn't look all that solid.

Seriously though, that's messed up. Killed by a multi-ton tree at a B&B? Wow. Was the tree planted there? Or was the land compromised in a way that made it prone to a fall?

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

Originally Posted by SLO_Town
Let them sue God. Living is dangerous.

Scott



It's California. They have thousands of starving attorney's

 

[69GTX]

We have the same issue in our region with huge oak trees rooted into a sandy soil. Once these trees get to be 70-80 ft tall they can be pushed over by 60-100 mph winds. It's not anyone's fault...except nature. During a major winter storm several years ago a half dozen of these monsters all went down, and all in exactly the same direction.....via the wind.

A tree gets too big for the rooting structure and cannot withstand all the forces nature may provide....wind, erosion, age, etc. They still come down, even if healthy. It's all the same thing.

 

[slo town]

Originally Posted by BMWTurboDzl
Originally Posted by SLO_Town
Let them sue God. Living is dangerous.

Scott



It's California. They have thousands of starving attorney's

Couldn't agree more.

Scott

 

[user52165]

Originally Posted by 69GTX
We have the same issue in our region with huge oak trees rooted into a sandy soil. Once these trees get to be 70-80 ft tall they can be pushed over by 60-100 mph winds. It's not anyone's fault...except nature. During a major winter storm several years ago a half dozen of these monsters all went down, and all in exactly the same direction.....via the wind.


It's not the same issue. Read the link I provided above. Torrey pines in their natural habitat don't fall.

In its native habitat, Pinus torreyana is found in the coastal sage scrub plant community, growing slowly in dry sandy soil. The root system is extensive. A tiny seedling may quickly send a taproot down 60 centimeters (24 in) seeking moisture and nutrients. A mature tree may have roots extending 75 meters (246 ft). Exposed trees battered by coastal winds are often twisted into beautiful sculptural shapes resembling large bonsai, and rarely exceed 12 m (39 ft) tall.



Endangered in the wild, Torrey pine is planted as an ornamental tree.[10] They are used in native plant and drought tolerant gardens and landscapes.[citation needed] Under cultivation, on richer soils with higher rainfall or supplemental irrigation, the Torrey pine is capable of fast growth to a large size, with tall and straight trees from 33 meters (108 ft)[10] to 45 m (148 ft) in height.[11][12]

The Torrey pine is protected by a city tree ordinance in Del Mar, near the native habitat, and construction projects and citizens require a permit for its removal.


That tree was not native. It grew too large because it was probably over watered in an area not proper to hold it.

 

[doitmyself]

A very sad story. It's impossible to eliminate all hazards in life. Lots of people die when their car leaves the road and runs into a tree. Yet, we don't remove all the trees that are along roads.

This accident will push the gray area between all the intricacies of natural cause vs. man made. Non native trees are planted in landscape situations all the time. It's what we humans do - change the course of natural things.

 

[Touring5]

I thought the news report I saw said that one neighbor refused to allow that tree to be removed (against the efforts of some other person(s)). I can see how that would cause this tragic situation to be headed to the courts.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

A lawyer is going to have a steep hill to climb if they want to argue that the tree fell because it was planted in an area which compromised its ability to remain upright. Especially if local ordinances discourage the removal of healthy trees.

https://www.sandiego.gov/trees/maintenance

For the record it appears that this particular tree was regularly maintained.

 

[SubieRubyRoo]

I wish people would just leaf their lawyers out of this tragedy. If it's your day to go, it's your day to go, whether or not you're on vacation at a B&B or grilling some wieners in your own backyard.

 

[Danno]

Originally Posted by SubieRubyRoo
I wish people would just "leaf" their lawyers out of this tragedy.

I see what you did there.

 

[AZjeff]

Originally Posted by SubieRubyRoo
I wish people would just leaf their lawyers out of this tragedy. If it's your day to go, it's your day to go, whether or not you're on vacation at a B&B or grilling some wieners in your own backyard.


Pretty much absolves anyone of anything that causes another person's death doesn't it?

 

[Bud]

Dying in any way is a hazard of living.

 

[Shannow]

Person who owned the property that the tree was on is liable...pure and simple.

They may defend that with regular inspections and maintenance, showing some level of diligence.

For those act of Godders, there was another case with an Air BnB, which showed a tree with a tyre swing in the ad...guy swung on it branch rotted (act of God), branch hit him on way down...is that another case of suing God...or another shade of gray in a property owner's responsibilities ?

BTW, the man who sued God is an awesome movie.

 

[Leo99]

If the tree was a known hazard...

Planting or not removing a large tree where it's likely to fall over is negligence..

 

[2heeldrive]

They are going to have to prove gross negligence on the owner of the tree to collect. I think that will be difficult to do.

I have had limbs from my trees fall on neighbors' cars. Their insurance paid, not mine. I have had limbs fall from a recently maintained (trimmed) tree and smash my roof. Stuff happens. The insurance company wasn't interested in going after the tree trimmer, but paid for a new roof. Maybe it would be different if there were injuries involved.

Here in the great plains, many of the trees are non native, but they seem to stand up without much trouble.

I had a huge old tree that was in between two houses that had a history of dropping limbs on cars and houses (see above). I hired a tree trimmer to remove it. He brought two crews and worked all day. I paid him $4,000. Insurance company's don't pay for preventive maintenance. That tree could have smashed either (or both) house(s) right down to the foundation. It just wasn't worth the risk to me... but I'm funny that way. I bet most folks would have just left it alone.

 

[earlyre]

Originally Posted by Shannow

BTW, the man who sued God is an awesome movie.

I was gonna say the same... glad i'm not the only person who saw it!

 

[NYSteve]

Originally Posted by SLO_Town
Let them sue God. Living is dangerous.

Scott


Best quote I've seen in a long time!

 

[philipp10]

meanwhile on average 90 people died in car accidents today.....and ALL were the result of negligence.