Tree problems in Randolph and what to do first

The first step with any Randolph tree problem is to keep people out of reach of the tree and assume every wire in contact with it is energized. Most failures here involve a tall forest tree on shallow, rocky soil or wet valley ground, and dead ash near the house is a frequent culprit. Once the scene is safe, photograph the damage and call a local tree contractor with the location, the slope and what was hit.

Tree fell on the house

A whole tree or a large limb on the roof usually comes from roots letting go in soaked or shallow soil, a trunk with hidden decay, or a heavy crown catching wind or wet snow. Many of these trees were standing in the woods before the house was built, so they are tall enough to reach the roof from well back in the yard. The weight can crack rafters even where the shingles look fine.

Get everyone out of the rooms under the impact and keep them out until someone checks the framing. If wires came down with the tree, treat them as live and stay far back. If you smell gas, leave the house and call 911 from outside. Do not climb onto the roof or start cutting limbs yourself, since a loaded trunk can shift or spring when a cut releases it. Take photos from the ground for your insurer.

Call a local pro once people are safe and any wires are handled. Tell the contractor whether the tree is still attached at the roots, what it is resting on, and how steep the yard is, because on Randolph hillsides a crane or bucket truck may have to set up from the street. Ask too whether the township's Tree Protection permit process, run by the Planning Division, needs a call after an emergency removal.

Tree on a power line

Limbs and trunks end up on wires when storm winds, ice or wet snow overload a crown, or when a tree that has grown into the lines finally breaks. A line can stay energized even when it lies on the ground, whether it sparks or stays completely silent, and a tree touching it can carry current into the trunk and the soil around it.

Stay at least 30 feet away from the tree and every wire near it, and keep kids and pets inside. Call 911 if a line is down, sparking or across a road, and report it to the electric utility. Do not touch the tree, the wire or anything in contact with them, and never try to knock a limb loose with a pole or rope. If a line falls on your car while you are in it, stay inside unless there is a fire.

Randolph is served by JCP&L, and only the utility or a qualified line clearance crew should work on a tree touching its lines. After Tropical Storm Isaias in 2020, about 88 percent of Randolph households lost power, and the mayor listed removing trees close to power lines among the issues to raise with JCP&L. Once the line is safe, call a local pro for the rest of the tree and tell them what the utility already cut.

Neighbor's tree fell on my property or fence

A neighbor's tree usually comes over the line for the same reasons yours would: storm wind, soaked ground, or decay nobody noticed. On wooded Randolph lots, where back yards run straight into the trees on the next property, a trunk from next door can land on a fence, shed or deck with little warning. Who pays usually comes down to insurance and whether the tree was healthy beforehand.

Stay off the trunk and away from any wire mixed into it. Photograph the tree, the damage and the base where it broke or pulled up, before anything is moved, and let your neighbor know. In general, a healthy tree knocked down by a storm is treated as an act of nature and you claim on your own homeowners policy, while a tree that was clearly dead or neglected can raise a negligence question.

This is general information, not legal advice, so check your policy and ask your insurer how it applies before paying anyone. Then call a local pro to remove what is on your side, and tell the contractor whose tree it was, where the property line runs and what the insurer has asked for. If the yard is soft ground near the Black River or Mill Brook, mention it, since wet soil changes how equipment gets in.

Tree fell on a car or driveway

Trees and big limbs land on cars and driveways because those spots sit under the canopy but out in the open, where wind hits hardest. Randolph has many long driveways cut through woods, so one fallen oak can block the only way out. A trunk lying across a car is often still under tension, bent like a spring, and it can roll or jump when the weight shifts.

Check that no one is in or under the car and that no wire is involved. Do not try to drive out, lift the trunk with a jack, or cut it while it is pinned against the vehicle. Take photos of the car, the tree and where it broke. Damage to a car is usually an auto insurance matter, often under comprehensive coverage, so call your auto insurer as well as your home insurer if the house or garage was hit.

Call a local pro and say whether the driveway is your only access and whether anyone needs to get out, so the crew can open a path first. Mention the slope and length of the drive, since on steep Randolph driveways the chipper may have to stay at the road. If the tree came down from the road right of way, report it to the township rather than having a private crew cut it.

Leaning or cracked tree after a storm

A tree that leans more than it used to after a storm has usually lost part of its root hold. Look for soil lifted in a mound on one side, cracked ground or torn roots at the base. A split between two trunks, a crack running down the bark, or a broken limb hanging in the crown all mean the wood has failed and can give way without more wind.

Keep people, cars and pets out of the area the tree could reach if it fell, at least as far from the trunk as the tree is tall, and farther downhill. Do not climb it, tie it off to the house, or cut a hanging limb from below, since the piece can swing or drop onto you. Take photos from the same spot so you can see whether the lean grows over the next day.

Call a local pro soon, even if the tree is not over anything important. Tell the contractor when the lean started, whether the soil at the base moved, and what sits downhill. Randolph's ridges have shallow, stony soil and its stream valleys stay wet, and either one can let a big tree tip after a storm. Ask whether the tree can be kept with pruning or cabling, or should come down before the next one.

Dead or dying tree near the house

A tree that leafs out late, drops bark, shows bare branches at the top or grows mushrooms at its base is often dying from decay, root damage or insects. In Randolph a very common cause is the emerald ash borer, and a gray, peeling ash with thin leaves at the top is a typical sign. Dead wood dries and turns brittle, so limbs break off with little warning.

Keep people from parking, playing or sitting under the tree, especially in wind. Do not try to fell it or climb it yourself, because dead trees break in unexpected places and are hard even for experienced crews to rig. Pick up fallen limbs only when it is calm, and stay out from under the crown while you do. Take a few photos of the crown and the base to show the contractor.

Call a local pro before the tree drops a large limb on the roof. Tell the contractor what kind of tree it is if you know, how long it has looked bad and what is under it. Randolph reported in 2021 that the emerald ash borer had killed more than 1,000 ash trees in town, and the township handled dead ash in the right of way while trees on private lots stay the owner's job.

Common questions

Rules change. Confirm the current requirements with Randolph or the contractor before work starts.