CenterPoint can leave a mess for homeowners
After cutting trees close to power lines, a tree cutting company hired by CenterPoint Energy left residents to clean up the large tree trunks, branches, leaves and other heavy debris.
On Feb. 5 the company, Lewis Tree Service, initially sent a notice to residents in a Pinehurst neighborhood that they were contracted by CenterPoint to remove trees that could interfere with power lines and possibly cause outages.
“They came over with a little piece of paper and said, ‘Hey, we need to take that tree down,’ ” said 70year-old Lowell Ernst. “So I signed it. I didn’t read it.”
CenterPoint’s rules
According to Centerpoint Energy’s guidelines on tree trimming, the tree service contracted to trim live trees should be expected to remove debris on the same day the tree is cut, although it could be left overnight after homeowners are notified.
Conditions that would prevent this would be if the tree is dead, an inclement weather event has occurred during or after trimming or if the trees that were trimmed were already interrupting service, such as broken or fallen trees. Ernst said the tree was dead, but not broken or interrupting electricity service.
In order to avoid tree conflicts with power lines, CenterPoint Energy’s guidelines advise residents to avoid planting trees or other tall plants under or next to transmission lines. Any plants put near these locations should be shorter, like shrubs or bushes, that cannot reach the power line.
The guide also seriously advises that residents should not cut the tree themselves for their own safety. Residents who are also professional arborists or tree cutters must coordinate with CenterPoint Energy if they intend to trim or cut down a tree near a power line.
Ernst has several health conditions making it difficult to move the large debris himself, including a pacemaker and an injured shoulder. He said he is also concerned about the cost for other neighbors.
“This is an old neighborhood,” Lowell Ernst said. “It’s got a lot of elderly people in it and now most of us are on a fixed income spending $500 to $800 bucks to get the tree hauled off is a strain.”
Cost to remove debris
Soon after a report from ABC13 reporter Brooke Taylor was published Feb. 28, a representative with CenterPoint Energy contacted Lowell and his wife, Gennie Ernst, to notify them that they would have their debris removed from their backyard.
“He said, ‘I’m going to send somebody out there to clean,’ ” Gennie Ernst said. “He goes, ‘This is just between you and me.’ Why emphasize that and why make this such a big deal?”
The debris was removed from the Ernsts’ yard by the next day, Feb. 29, but the debris for nearby neighbors was still present. Gennie Ernst said she did not receive the full name of the CenterPoint Energy representative.
A representative with CenterPoint Energy, Logan Anderson said CenterPoint is not responsible for any debris if a tree is already dead.
“If a dead tree on the customer’s property could fall on CenterPoint Energy’s electrical equipment and disrupt service to customers, we will cut down the tree at no expense to the customer,” Anderson said. “However, the customer is responsible for disposing of the wood left onsite. All customers sign a removal permit granting permission to cut and stack dead vegetation on their property before work begins.”
The CenterPoint website guidelines contain a section on dead trees.
“We work with customers on a case-by-case basis to resolve concerns when possible,” Anderson said. “CenterPoint communicated with the customer and obtained consent before proceeding with the work. While customers are responsible for the removal of vegetation on their property, we worked with this customer directly to resolve their situation due to their specific circumstances.”
Anderson said that while the Ernsts had their debris removed for free after being contacted by CenterPoint, it was a special case for the couple and not to be expected by other customers.
“My next door neighbor is a single mom raising her teenage daughter,” Lowell Ernst said. “So, they took care of mine but they left hers over there.”
Gennie Ernst said she had to hire a pool cleaner to remove the other debris, like leaves and branches, that fell in the pool during the removal. Whether CenterPoint Energy will remove debris for the other residents is still unknown.