Actually if they have not obtained permits that is tax evasion where I live.
People do not get permits so the tax people do not know the real value of
the home. Again this is also a structural matter. If the permits were not
obtained and desinges inspected the jobs may not be up to code. For instance
if faulty electrical work has been done they could burn down there house and
the neighbors.
"TheKeith" wrote in message
...
Yeah, but getting them for not having permits is really like hitting a guy
in the balls--it's a cheap shot. It is a nice little extra thing to keep
in
our arsenal though, in case things don't go our way. Maybe I'll drop a
permit application in their mailbox, as a masked threat.



"Chris" wrote in message
...
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dob/html/brochure3.html take a look this might
point
you in the right direction.

"TheKeith" wrote in message
...
I live in Brooklyn, NY and in the backyard is a 30-yr old maple tree
that
my
parents planted before I was even born. The tree was planted about 2
feet
away from the fence and now, 30 yrs later, is a bit of a monster--part
of
the trunk is on my neighbors side. They are currently putting up a big
fence
and have already managed to convince my parents to let them cut a
chunk
away
from the very bottom of the trunk (my parents consulted a tree surgeon
first
of course, and he said it was ok)--now the neighbors are saying that
they
need to cut what appears to be a major root (almost looks like part of
the
trunk itself)--the tree surgeon is coming over again tomorrow, but I'm
fairly certain that this is a vital component to the survival of the
tree.
My grandfather was a real estate attorney and some years before he
died
looked up some law regarding trees and discovered something called
"air
rights" or something like that, which basically provided that the
branches
of a tree, as long as it doesn't physically touch a neighbors property
may
not be cut by that neighbor even if it is "over" their property. I was
wondering if there are any comparable laws regarding the tree trunk
itself
and its major roots, which obviously run well under my neighbors
property?
Help would be greatly appreciated -- thanks.

Keith
kegepet
at
nyc dot
rr dot
com

In misc.legal TheKeith wrote:
snip
My grandfather was a real estate attorney and some years before he died
looked up some law regarding trees and discovered something called "air
rights" or something like that, which basically provided that the branches
of a tree, as long as it doesn't physically touch a neighbors property may
not be cut by that neighbor even if it is "over" their property. I was
wondering if there are any comparable laws regarding the tree trunk itself
and its major roots, which obviously run well under my neighbors property?
Help would be greatly appreciated -- thanks.

Nolo press has an excellent book on Neighbor law. You should be able to
find it in your local library. http://www.nolo.com It covers your topic
pretty well. I don't have a copy on hand or I'd tell you what it says.

TheKeith wrote:

My grandfather was a real estate attorney and some years before he died
looked up some law regarding trees and discovered something called "air
rights" or something like that, which basically provided that the branches
of a tree, as long as it doesn't physically touch a neighbors property may
not be cut by that neighbor even if it is "over" their property. I was
wondering if there are any comparable laws regarding the tree trunk itself
and its major roots, which obviously run well under my neighbors property?
Help would be greatly appreciated -- thanks.

In most states you own your property including the overhead space and
can remove any part of neighbor's plants that intrude on your property.
If that weren't the case, the such building as the empire state building
could be prevented from being built by moving some humungus tree on an
adjoining property. The flip side is that it is the neighbor's
responsibility to take care of any plant that extends over his property.

--
Pardon my spam deterrent; send email to
Cheers, Steve Henning in Reading, PA USA
http://www.users.fast.net/~shenning