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Old 25-08-2004, 10:21 PM
Doug Kanter
 
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Is Commerce your company, or the driver's?

"Alan Sung" wrote in message
news:Y96Xc.90515$TI1.90202@attbi_s52...
This past winter a large SUV crashed into a Norway Maple in front of my
house out near the road. The tree has a 7" caliper, 21" circumference and

is
about 35-40 feet high. A chunk of the bark about 18" high and about 1/3 of
the circumference was knocked off down to the bare wood.

The driver was very cordial and said that their insurance would pay for

the
damage. I had a certified horticulturalist from Weston Nurseries come and
look at the tree and write a letter giving an estimate. It says "This tree
will continue to live for several more years, however, with each year this
tree will leaf out less and less, resulting in rotting branches and

internal
rot of the exposed hard wood due to the extensive cambium layer scar. No
remedial action can save this tree."

The numbers we
Tree: $5,000
Delivery w/crane truck: $275
Tree and stump removal: $600
Installation w/3 laborers and compost soil: $600

After sending this information off to Commerce Insurance, they came back

and
said "We'll give you $500 because we do not think the tree needs to be
replaced and that's all that the damaged bark is worth. We sent an

adjuster
to look at the tree and it looks just fine."

I am looking to get a second opinion from another certified

horticulturalist
who is familiar with tree values and associated costs. Does anyone have

any
recommendations or the best way to proceed?

Thanks,
-al sung
Hopkinton, MA