Residents can now report dead and hazardous trees to Neighborhood Code Compliance by calling 311.

Neighborhood Code Compliance is responsible for new regulations regarding dead and hazardous trees; the changes were made to City Code in 2017 in response to concerns about safety from neighborhood leaders. Neighborhood Code will issue a 30-day order to abate (remove) if trees are certified by an arborist to be completely dead and are in a location where they could damage property or fall into an alley or roadway.

Neighborhood Code Compliance officers will only respond to complaints made through 311; the public should call 311 or 260-427-8311 to report a possible violation or file an online complaint at https://bit.ly/2qarWWm. Individuals making a report will need to have the property’s specific street address to register the complaint.

When officers determine a tree could fall and damage property such as a home or vehicle, they will call an arborist to certify that the entire tree is dead. If a violation exists, Neighborhood Code will mail the property owner of record a 30-day order to abate, or remove. After 30 days, if the owner has not taken down the tree, the City’s contractor will remove it. The owner will then be charged for the cost of the removal.