Felling timber, illegal

farmerjack

Well-Known Member
A few months back a relation took a fancy to an ash tree on my property and said he'd like to have it for firewood, I told him it was over 10 years old and illegal to fell and left it at that. A few days back my wife met his neighbour who informed her the the said relation asked him if he would cut the tree for him :thumbdown: Some cheek. As far as I know there is a law against felling any tree over 10 years unless it's within 100 yards of a dwelling and also letting any one waltz in with a chainsaw without qualifications or insurance is a recipe for disaster.
 
all the above dosent matter one bit if the tree isnt on his own land, its not his, thats stealing.

or has he some hold on it?
 
all the above dosent matter one bit if the tree isnt on his own land, its not his, thats stealing.

or has he some hold on it?
No hold what so ever, he lives in the local town 12 miles away. He was just visiting one day and strolling around the place.
 
FBD definitely don't cover employees or any one else for that matter to operate a chainsaw unless qualified to do so with proper PPE! That's reason enough!
 
No hold what so ever, he lives in the local town 12 miles away. He was just visiting one day and strolling around the place.
well if thats that then so.
its your tree.

do you get on well with him or whats the deal.
id tell him to fcuk off in such a way heed look forward to it.
 
Yes, there should be a felling notice, and yes Tinny is right, and you should tell him to do one!
 
well if thats that then so.
its your tree.

do you get on well with him or whats the deal.
id tell him to fcuk off in such a way heed look forward to it.
He's a close relation but this crap boils my blood as I more or less told him no as politely as possible and then he has some fella lined up to cut the tree. I would never have known only for this man mentioning it to my wife. He could have arrived in any time I was away and start cutting.
 
He's a close relation but this crap boils my blood as I more or less told him no as politely as possible and then he has some fella lined up to cut the tree. I would never have known only for this man mentioning it to my wife. He could have arrived in any time I was away and start cutting.
that id be the time to call the guards then so.
lock your gates lad.
 
Explain that it can't be cut because, if you had an farm inspection, you ccould loose all your payments as it is viewed as a serious breach. You only remembered this after whatever conversation gave him the impression that he could cut it. Assure him that you couldn't cut it yourself even if you wanted. Maybe suggest alternatives like forestry thinning's. You can be firm at this point, you've explained why and you've offered an alternative so that's all your "family" duties fulfilled.
 
FBD definitely don't cover employees or any one else for that matter to operate a chainsaw unless qualified to do so with proper PPE! That's reason enough!

Not doubting you Denis, but is the former true, there has to be 1000's of farmers etc out there cutting timber on these wetter days for stoves and fires etc.

The latter I can see why but sadly would rarely happen!

To farmerjack, nothing extra to add to the above. As tinman says lock all gates and maybe don't let him stroll again. I know he is your relation but he must have a brass neck...
 
Not doubting you Denis, but is the former true, there has to be 1000's of farmers etc out there cutting timber on these wetter days for stoves and fires etc.

The latter I can see why but sadly would rarely happen!

To farmerjack, nothing extra to add to the above. As tinman says lock all gates and maybe don't let him stroll again. I know he is your relation but he must have a brass neck...

I've had lads cutting up firing for me several times over the years and they were covered by insurance even though neither they nor I are qualified chainsaw men. Earmuffs are about as far as the safety gear here runs on them saws. If I'm remembering it rightly I think it's under the casual labour end of things or something like that.
 
Not doubting you Denis, but is the former true, there has to be 1000's of farmers etc out there cutting timber on these wetter days for stoves and fires etc.

The latter I can see why but sadly would rarely happen!

To farmerjack, nothing extra to add to the above. As tinman says lock all gates and maybe don't let him stroll again. I know he is your relation but he must have a brass neck...


I only found it out on placement in Teagasc, there was a push on H&S in discussion groups and it came up at a meeting and looked into and that was the story apparently. It's a recent enough change if I remember rightly. There might also have been something about FRS labourers not being covered by the FRS to work a chainsaw.
 
Denis is correct, I had a friend here a few years ago giving me a hand thinning Ash. I asked FBD about insuring him but once they heard 'chainsaw' they werent interested.
I doubt there is an insurance company in Ireland that will cover a chainsaw operative without the relevant tickets.
 
you lucky he is only after a tree, some of us have relations that put themselves in shit and take you down the swanny with them.
 
He's a close relation but this crap boils my blood as I more or less told him no as politely as possible and then he has some fella lined up to cut the tree. I would never have known only for this man mentioning it to my wife. He could have arrived in any time I was away and start cutting.

Sounds as if he could still arrive in and start cutting by that carry on, If I was in that situation I'd be getting on to him straight away and letting him know where he stands, the lad he's lining up to cut it may not be aware of the laws on felling either or end up telling you the line "he told me it was his to fell" when it's too late.
 
Tell him to plant two trees in its place and when they are established and protected from stock then he can have the tree .
 
Stick a sign on tree "if this tree is cut down the person will be shot" should get the point across
 
A brother in law was in a similar situation with a casual acquaintance. He said to him , you have loads of trees, you won't miss one beech tree, it will keep me warm for a long time.
He replied, ok ,give me 500 , and you can have the tree.
What!! Why would I give you 500 , and it just growing there?
Well, if you went down to Mr X and took a plot of turf off him, you would have to pay him 500 euro for it. There is as much firing in that tree. Now fcuk off with yourself,why should I keep you warm for free. The council keeps a roof over your head for nothing, and you can buy plenty of beer, so, spend that money on fuel instead!
 
Tell him to go fcuk himself. Why bother making excuses to him.

I agree.
At the very least he needs to get the message that he has no entitlement to anything on your property, otherwise, the next time he sees a tree blown down in a storm he will be on to you again.
Lay down a marker now.
 
FBD won't cover anything to do with chainsaws regardless of tickets.
You need a permit to cut mature trees.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk so it is
 
FBD won't cover anything to do with chainsaws regardless of tickets.
You need a permit to cut mature trees.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk so it is
That's what I thought re. insurance.
[MENTION=1551]farmerjack[/MENTION] The Felling trees act has been in since 1946 so I would be pushing strong on that one, there are a few exceptions eg. fruit trees and trees within a certain distance of a dwelling, but other than that, once it's over 10, you have to leave alone. That's the legal end of it. He won't be insured either (unless this neighbour has his own policy for operating a chainsaw and a cert to work it too) so you couldn't let him near the tree. I could have sold and made a fortune on standing trees here by a few lads looking to buy trees to saw down themselves, but I could also end up in court with someone looking for medical fees to covered for a lost limb.
The most important point IMV and it's what [MENTION=324]tinman[/MENTION] pointed out, you told him that he couldn't have the tree so it's not his to be organising cutting it down. This relation does sound a bit pushy. Would it be in him to arrive unannounced and start cutting?
Maybe it might be a bit of a deterrent to put up a good sized bird box on the tree?
FBD won't cover anything to do with chainsaws regardless of tickets.
You need a permit to cut mature trees.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk so it is
 
Are you serious?
OK, maybe a bird box mighn't be the best example, but something that catches this guys eye and makes it look like he's going to be damaging his cousins property by sawing the tree, a halogen light or run a covered electric fence wire up on it, something on those lines as I'm gathering that this guy is convinced that the tree is just growing there and would be no skin off of farmerjacks nose if it was gone. I've encountered these type of people before and they have themselves convinced that because it's not being used, they can lay claim on it. Trees are being stolen around the countryside too, not by complete thieves, but by ignorant brasing so and sos who don't realise what they are doing.
 
Tell him to go jump. If it's yours its yours, and tell him in no uncertain terms that if he turns up it will be theft and the police will be involved!

As for the permit. does that cover this side of the water also?? Have a lot of trees that need to come down here in the next few years, mainly due to them getting a bit too ropey for my liking, all lining a road.
 
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