Atlanta homeowner wants electric company to pay, accusing tree trimmers of killing Dogwoods

ATLANTA — A Northwest Atlanta homeowner wants Georgia Power to take responsibility after he said tree trimmers killed multiple Dogwoods on his property.

“They have to trim the trees back and prune them so they don’t interfere with the power lines,” said Lee Smith. “That’s totally understandable, but there’s a difference between trimming, pruning and topping the trees.”

Jeremy Tonjes is a certified arborist. He told Channel 2′s Courtney Francisco that topping a tree means chopping off the top. He said that can kill a Dogwood.

He took a look at the three Dogwood trees in this case and said, “They are dying.”

Georgia Power said it is still investigating to determine if its work caused it. A spokesperson said the vegetation management team plans to meet with the customer to come up with a solution next week.

The company told Channel 2 Action News that “Georgia Power’s utility arborists & professional tree contractors prune trees to provide safe, reliable service to our customers. Trees that come into contact with power lines are among the most frequent causes of power interruptions.”

Staff said the industry standard is to leave 15 feet of space between branches and power lines. However, staff said constructs consider tree species when trimming, and slower-growing, ornamental trees often require less clearance.

Georgia Power said it notifies customers at least one week before trimming begins in their neighborhood through e-mails and postcards. Door hangers are left two to three days in advance.

Staff said someone who needs to warn workers about a special tree before trimming can e-mail GeorgiaPowerTrees@southernco.com

Tonjes said if you notice a mistake, there is something you can do.

“You want to be proactive. You could always follow up with a certified arborist or a professional tree company to make the cuts that were improper to help the tree heal,” Tonjes said.

He said in this case, the Dogwood trees will likely require removal, He said that could cost more than $1,000, and the homeowner wants Georgia Power to pay for that.