I live in back of a forest preserve. When we bought the house the Edge of the forest was about 8 feet from our fence. Since then it has overgrown and is coming through and under our fence line. A call to the DuPage forest preserve department was useless. They did say we could trim what was going over our fence. A friend said we had a right to remove the closest trees/bushes as they were on an buffer zone or something like that. Is this true? If so how wide is this zone?

Hi Betty:

I would simply document your correspondence with the DuPage County Forest Preserve District and proceed with removal of encroaching vegetation (limbs) that physically overhangs your property / fence. I'm not aware of this "zone" your friend is speaking about, but I know from reading case law that a homeowner/landowner can prune vegetation that overhangs or extends onto their property -- however, you may be liable if you improperly prune and cause irreparable damage or death to the parent plant.

I would definitely take some photos too (before and after). We live in a very litigious society -- one can never be too careful !!! Document everything.

Best of luck!

Will County Forest preserve planted cottonwoods within 10 feet of my property line in the 1990s. Today they, along with scrub vegetation, overhang my fence by about 20 feet. The preserve is an unmanaged mess that cannot be enjoyed by the public. I talked to the head of the preserve who claims this creates a vibrant eco system.

Some years ago, this land was bone dry and could easily have become an inferno. The cotton woods are tall enough to topple onto my roof. I am a paraplegic and fear for my safety. Does not the county have an obligation to balance the needs of their neighbors with their commitment to conservation?

Rod Klein 630.914.5221 rdklein1@comcast.net

Hi Rod:

Sorry to hear about your frustrations and concerns regarding the encroachment of woody vegetation to your property boundary. Your best options appear to be either (a) consult an attorney, and/or (2) write a letter to the Will County Forest Preserve District Board and send it via certified mail.