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Resident warns of storm-damaged trees; township staff says homeowner responsibility for neighbor trees, township handles hazardous public trees
Summary
A 15 Scott Drive resident told the July 13 council meeting a neighbor's large tree fell after storms; township staff said private neighbor-to-neighbor tree removal is the homeowners' responsibility, while the township maintains a separate list and a single tree crew to handle hazardous town-owned trees and storm response.
A resident identifying their address as 15 Scott Drive told the East Brunswick council on July 13 that a large neighbor tree fell onto their property after recent storms and that a township-owned sidewalk tree previously flagged for removal in 2025 had not yet been taken down.
The resident asked whether the township would handle removal of the neighbor’s fallen tree and whether permits would be required. Township staff member Mr. Crescullo responded that trees on private property are generally the responsibility of the homeowners involved: “Let’s handle the neighbor to neighbor property situation first. That’s your and your neighbor’s responsibility to do that,” he said. He added that the township maintains a separate list for town-owned hazardous trees and that the township’s tree-removal capacity is limited: “We have one tree crew that handles the whole township ... 1 bucket truck, 1 chipper, 1 stump grinder, 1 crew.”
Staff said crews already respond to clear roadways after storms and that some requests date back a couple of years because of limited staffing and the number of trees across the township. The resident said private tree contractors had quoted high prices for removal; staff offered to send personnel to inspect the address at 15 Scott Drive and check for immediate safety hazards.
The council did not take formal action on the complaint during the meeting; staff said they would follow up with an inspection.
(Reporting based on public comment and staff response at the July 13 council meeting.)
