Houzz won't let me type in the post!!..so here's the text in a comment..we heard the thud..one end of the branch was low enough that my husband could take it off of the house..after 14 years something sort of big finally hit the house :-( ..see the light spot on the gutter?..there's a dent and the paint's gone..it's always something..

Not to make light of it but dang, you made it 14 years? That’s pretty good in such a wooded area. Will your clean up be extensive or were any hostas damaged by this?????

oursteelers and newhostalady..I think our damage is minimal..I believe that we haven't had problems because we've been proactive..arborists have removed dead branches and even entire trees..we removed 2 trees within a few weeks after moving in..I haven't walked around the entire yard but I haven't noticed anything alarming from the windows..the viburnum near the bent gutter has a broken branch..the hostas are fine..there's cleanup but that's neverending Lol..with this many trees there's always a possibility that one could fall..I still prefer to have trees than not!..newhostlady - I definitely understand your concern about your tree..

It is a good thing you are proactive nicholsworth or it could have been a lot worse. Hopefully you can straighten the gutter, add a dab of paint and done. It seems like no shingles were damaged. It is shocking to hear the thud though not knowing what you will find. Really glad it wasn't more serious.

newhostalady it makes you wonder about priorities and agendas sometimes doesn't it. I love trees but....

The joys of home ownership. You're right, there's always something. I'm glad you weren't out there when it broke, but it probably happened during a storm when you wouldn't be outside, anyway. The sound of it hitting the roof must have been alarming! ......But the trees add so much, we wouldn't want to be without them.

Good to hear that your damage is minimal nicholsworth. Sounds like you've been doing a good job looking after your trees---and garden!

Thanks for your support nicholsworth and peren.all regarding my tree. I have been pretty upset about being denied removal of my one tree. It has taken the joy out of gardening, because the roots are so bad. Some of my valuable gardening time will be spent on getting information and pictures for my appeal. The whole process will take almost one year! And most likely will be denied again. No wonder some people remove trees illegally!

peren..it wasn't the loudest thud in the world but the loudest we've ever heard..and then today was beautiful..I was out for hours cleaning up and I did some pruning..the viburnum was a bit more damaged than I thought..but I'm not going to stress about it..it's still presentable..

sandyslopes..being a homeowner certainly isn't always a joy..but I do love having my own land and my own plants..and you need to live somewhere so you might as well buy a house right?..

newhostalady..I think we lucked out..only the gutter appears to have damage..you should be on the lookout for a situation where a tree HAS fallen on a house in your area to support your case..there were pictures on the news yesterday that would show just how much damage a big tree can do..when I see those I get a little nervous since here I am in a woodland..

Nicholsworth, glad you are using an arborist to manage the trees close to the house. Sometimes things just get bad before the professionals come around again. Did anyone tell you that a wooded lot came with an annual arborist bill before you bought it?

zkathy..Lol..my neighbor had never owned a home until this one (she's a professor and her positions included housing) she made the comment that she had no clue that her trees would cost her so much money..my parents had a home with 3 acres "dotted" with trees but not wooded..my dad used to complain about tree expenses..I thought I was prepared but it's more than I expected..

Nicholsworth, glad that you were lucky in regards to the amount of damage from the tree. Trees can be expensive to maintain. A tree fell on a neighborhood house. It was the next door neighbor's tree. It was mostly dead already. There was $100,000 worth of damage and months of aggravation. I am afraid the city does not care if a tree damages your property or someone else's. There is no financial implication for them. It is all on the owner and/or insurance company. For example, my insurance will not be paying if a tree root causes foundation problems. But the city says it "likely" will not happen! So I have to wait for damage to happen (with proof) before I can remove my tree. Why would I dig around my house to check for damage? That would be an additional expense to me!

It is hard to understand and realize how much work something takes until you actually experience it. I understand that some councillors that vote whether I can remove my tree or not actually live in condos! They shouldn't get to vote at all!

newhostalady..there's so many unreasonable ways things are done in this world..years ago my friend in her 20's needed braces..her insurance company would pay to remove her teeth (unnecessary) and get dentures but not for the braces..so she paid for the braces..an unqualified person from the city shouldn't be making decisions about tree removal..if the homeowner isn't allowed to make their own decision then at least have an expert involved..

newhostalady, this situation with your tree sounds extremely frustrating!

.....If the tree is on your property, and you're responsible for it if anything goes wrong, then it sounds unreasonable for you not to be in charge of making decisions about that tree. A tree falling on a car or house can kill someone. Don't they care about that? Even if it's just because you want it gone, it seems like it should be your decision. Sounds like an example of a bureaucratic nightmare.