Pittsburgh-area man says crew hired by Duquesne Light cut down his tree without permission
WHITEHALL, Pa. (KDKA) — A Whitehall man said a crew hired by Duquesne Light cut down a tree in his front yard without permission.
The beloved silver maple tree that once stood tall in Adam Long's yard in Whitehall is now a stump. He said not only did the 35-foot tree add curb appeal, but it also provided shade, acted as a sound barrier and was the centerpiece of holiday decorations.
"We use it every year for Halloween decorations, drape stuff off of it," Long said. "We always put cobwebs off of it, and people come by and say how nice it looks."
Long said Duquesne Light trimmed the tree often because of nearby low-hanging power lines. So, when a crew showed up in February, he just assumed they were there for that reason.
"They said it was partially a species issue and partially the power lines," Long said. "But every year, they pruned it back fine and we had no complaints."
Long called and emailed Duquesne Light to find out what happened. To his surprise, a representative told him that his address was scheduled for a tree removal, which requires a signature. Long said Duquesne Light never asked for the signature or received one.
"They said they sent out a robocall two to three years ago and they said they sent something in the mail two to three years ago," Long said.
As if it could not get any worse, Long said Duquesne Light initially refused to pay for the cleanup.
"If you're going to cut someone's tree down, you take it that day," he said. "The fact that we had to email them to get them to take the wood away is kind of insane to me."
Long said Duquesne Light offered $1,000 in tree vouchers but he declined. Duquesne Light added that the tree removed is a species that grows tall and quickly, leading to service interruptions. Duquesne Light said it has offered to have the stump removed.
