hmmmmm ...

IMHO birch is not the strongest of trees.. and i would not sleep well at night.. with one hanging over my head ....

MOST locales allow trimming of trees that overhang the lot line .... and i would talk with my neighbor and decide what to do ... as well as talking with an atty or your real estate agent [who MIGHT know the local law] about who owns the sky above your fence line ...

you will have to pay for removal.. but if i were the neighbor.. i would prefer that it be properly trimmed to the trunk.. rather than simply cut off at the fence line ...

frankly no tree is all that great for the roof itself ... all the detritus is not really engineered into the life of the shingles ....

ken

Birch trees are notorious for aphid and scale infestations. Those pesky insects excrete a fine mist of sugary liquid 24/7. I suspect that that's what the home inspector is referring to.

If you are talking about concrete tile I can not think a little bit of sugary sap can cause problems. It is correct the problem of branches breaking off is a potential problem.

The excrement from piercing/sucking insects is not really sap and it does not come in little bits. It's highly concentrated and is the primary food source of a simple black mold known affectionately as black sooty mold. BSM can be a real problem for any surface receiving this constant mist....vehicles, outdoor furniture, perfectly healthy plants, ROOFS, patio umbrellas, etc.

Ok, so it sounds like the tree itself is not the problem, except for it not being a sturdy tree and possibly coming down on my roof :( But the sticky substance would actually be if the tree was infected with pests, right? It is correct to assume the tree is infected because it seems healthy enough (the other side is burned from a fire 1 yr ago)

Thankfully the neighbor is very nice, she has agreed that the tree is clearly over my roof and that is not good. She has agreed to share some of the cost of a professional arborist. My question then becomes, if we just trim this tree back to her side, how long before it starts coming back to over my roof?

Thanks guys for your help!

Wow, congrats for having an accommodating neighbor. Hire an ISA certified arborist so the tree doesn't twang all over the place. It is impossible to tell with info given how long regrowth will take.

Dan

But if it's simply 'topped' and not pruned correctly, there will be a lot of pretty aggressive new growth just behind the cuts. Hopefully, you can find a good certified arborist in your area.

agreed.. you need a local pro to SEE it ... even better.. 3 of them ... a tree cutter is OK if full removal is the option.. but a certified tree SURGEON if removing large branches ... insure full insurance before allowing on the property .. and that involves calling his ins co.. not just that old policy stuck in the visor of his 50 year old truck ....

agreed .. TOPPING IS NEVER THE SOLUTION .... and will lead to further destruction of the tree ...

proper pruning of the branches over the fence line.. most likely.. to the trunk is the solution ...

how long.. maybe not again in your lifetime.. but that is pure speculation ..

ken

Ok so NO Topping, got it. I ahve a good referral from other garden lover for an arborist but I will make sure he is ISA certified, a surgeon :) and his insurance is up-to-date! Thanks guys I would not have thought about his own insurance and it is good to have a certification to look for!