It is no surprise that a view of the sparkling San Francisco Bay can have a substantial impact on your property values. Views of the Bay, the Golden Gate Bridge or Angel Island are not the only views with a premium price tag. With Marin’s beautiful landscape, don’t forget about your views of Mt. Tam, Mt. Baldy or open space. SO, you pay a premium for a view of downtown San Francisco, how do you keep it?
- BEFORE you purchase the house, ask the sellers if they have had any issues with neighbors who don’t want to trim their trees. Know in advance what you may be up against. Tree disputes are very common in Marin County, and they can be expensive. VERY expensive.
- Take a picture of your view when you purchase your house. Some Marin County towns allow you to maintain your view as it was when you purchased the property. Trees grow quickly, so take that picture to prove what you paid for.
- Check to see if your area has a view protection ordinance- information is often available in the tree ordinances. Read the ordinances carefully and talk to the city. Many of the so called view ordinances are purely recommendations on how to resolve disputes, not specific, detailed protections of your view.
- If your neighborhood and/or subdivision has CC&R’s (Recorded Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions), they may include view and or tree ordinances.
- Talk to your neighbors. Bring cookies, cocktails, whatever it takes. BE NICE. Find out why they haven’t trimmed their trees. Property owners will often leave their trees untrimmed because it is too expensive to maintain regular tree trimmings. Think about offering to pay all or part of the cost of trimming your neighbors trees. Other times, property owners want to maintain their large trees for privacy or to screen out something they find undesirable (like a view of your house). Try to understand their perspective and an amicable solution may not be as difficult as it seems. (NEVER touch your neighbors trees without their permission- you don’t want it to turn into a criminal matter).
- If you live in an area without regulations protecting your view, consider purchasing a view easement. An easement transfers to the new owner if it sells, and will help ensure the view remains protected. Consult an attorney who specializes in resolving tree disputes who can help you negotiate the purchase of such an easement. If you are purchasing a property with a big bay view and the sellers had a view easement, wouldn’t you feel better?
If you are ready to cut some trees, be sure to check with your municipality and your CC&Rs for your community- there are likely to be regulations on cutting your trees. (Despite what people may say, some communities require permits for any large trees over a certain size. In Larkspur, you even need a permit to remove those nasty eucalyptus trees.