Who's Responsible?

[looniac]

Here's a question. We were up to the lake over the weekend and there was a large tree lodged underneath my dock which will cost quite a few bucks for me to have removed. This thing was clearly cut down by someone and dropped in the water. A visit to the town office was met with a "if it's on your dock, it's yours.." response which is kind of what I expected. Any suggestions or should I just suck it up?
Thanks

[Woodsy]

I would guess your pretty much out of luck. Unless you can prove without a doubt where it came from.

Gotta love completely irresponsible people!

Woodsy

[jrc]

If it is clearly cut down and not felled by beavers or erosion, you may be able to do some detective work. Take a small boat or canoe and survey the neighborhood for fresh stumps. It should be pretty close to shore, I can't imagine some would drag a tree down to the water, that's too much work.
Obviously, if your on the broads or other large open area, this is a waste of time.
If you find a likely stump, approach the land owner, maybe you can shame him into dealing with it. Otherwise call the DES, maybe they can apply more pressure.

[Dave R]

I dunno how NH is but in Maine, you'd be smart to remove it quickly. If it stays in place for X number of days in a Maine lake, it becomes "habitat" and it's against the law to remove it. That would suck.

[ApS]

Check with your town again.

Since it was clearly dumped and not cut from your property, they may have a provision for an "exceptional clearing" by the town's refuse department.

Otherwise, I agree with jrc. I'll bet the "guilty stump" is not too distant.

There may be some limb drag-marks on the bottom to indicate from which direction the wind has pushed it.

[looniac]

Such a heavily wooded area (Melvin Village). It would be a needle in a haystack. I think my wife was right when she suggested that someone cut it down when there was ice on the lake. Thanks for your ideas though.

[Mr. V]

Turn it into your insurance.

That's why you pay those premiums.

[LSBA Joker]

Looniac,
Have you thought about making a log canoe?
Think of the savings:
Keep warm while making it in the chilly off-season; keep warm while using it on those calm, quiet, but cool, spring and fall days; keep really warm while yelling at the Cptn. Boneheads to veer-off!

das joker

[looniac]

Seems to me that the person calling his or herself the "joker" should be required to say someting funny...

[islandgoddess]

Here's a question. We were up to the lake over the weekend and there was a large tree lodged underneath my dock which will cost quite a few bucks for me to have removed. This thing was clearly cut down by someone and dropped in the water. A visit to the town office was met with a "if it's on your dock, it's yours.." response which is kind of what I expected. Any suggestions or should I just suck it up?
Thanks[/QUOTE]

I think you should look around the neighborhood for a fresh stump first. If you find one, lug the log to their dock and they can own it.
Investigate the surroundings and see if you find evidence. If its a big tree, you might find traces of saw dust as well.. I disagree that if its on your dock, you own it. Thats someone's way of saying they don't want to help out a fellow neighbor. If you live on the bear island part of the lake. I'll help you move it. I don't know how to use a chain saw, but I'll do what I can to help you. Advantages: pull it up onto your lawn, and dry it out for firewood and don't share it. He Hee. Good luck to you. Nan at Bear Island

[Gatto Nero]

make lemonade.

The same thing happened to me last year. I pulled it out last spring, cut it last summer and let it sit in my yard over the winter. Now it's campfire wood delivered about 10 feet from my fire pit.

[Airwaves]

Pull the tree out, cut it up and sell it to folks like me as camp firewood!

Even if you find the stump it came from there is no way you can legally prove anything.

The tree is yours, sorry

[ApS]

I'm mostly agreeing with islandgoddess: Your "deductible" may make an insurance claim ill-advised unless there's your dock was damaged as a result.

If you pay someone to remove it, you may want to locate the source in order to be reimbursed. It's possible the land owner "contracted-out" the cutting, and assumed the cutter cleaned up the debris. (And was totally unaware of your circumstance).

You don't say what kind (or size) the tree is. If it's a "soggy" wood, it may sink of its own accord and you can tow it to deep water. (Black birch is a soggy wood, but it's woodstove-fodder here).

If your Town won't help, perhaps check with your County on your "ill-received" littering?

Originally Posted by Gatto Nero

"...The same thing happened to me last year. I pulled it out last spring, cut it last summer and let it sit in my yard over the winter. Now it's campfire wood delivered about 10 feet from my fire pit."

Unsplit firewood, even not seasoned, is good to put in the woodstove before bedtime, too. Close the damper, and it will smolder the whole night. You'll awaken to a cozy domicile.

Ignoring all this, I'd still save the bottom 6" of the tree. It will then be easy to match to the stump—which I'm thinking may be within a few hundred feet from your dock. Drifting items tend to hug the shoreline.