Out on a limb with storm-damaged trees? Here are some tips

If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to see it, it's a philosophical conundrum. But if an ice-caked tree limb falls on your fence, it's time to call your insurance company, Wheaton attorney Ted Donner advises.

The one-two-three punch of ice, snow and gusty wind Sunday and Monday downed trees and branches across the region.

That presents two problems for homeowners. One, how to clean up that massive maple limb sprawling between the deck and the shed. And two, what to do if the neighbor's tree is being propped up by your fence?

Before revving up the chain saw, "the first thing is to go to your insurance company and see if it's covered and let them deal with any neighbors' responsibility," said Donner, an expert in property law.

And in cases where it's unclear who exactly owns the tree? "It's where the stump comes out of the ground," Donner said. "If the tree comes out of my property but leans over on yours, it's still my tree regardless of where the roots or branches are."

For homeowners fretting over trees and bushes that have metamorphosed into icicles, don't attempt an intervention, said Julie Janoski, manager of the Morton Arboretum's Plant Clinic in Lisle.

Removing ice "at this stage can do more harm than good. It can break branches and all kinds of things," Janoski said, adding a thaw is expected later this week. "Healthy branches can hold several times their own weight."

The arboretum offers tips on pruning at mortonarb.org/trees-plants/tree-and-plant-advice/horticulture-care/pruning-trees.

She also noted it's best to prune the tree in winter when it's dormant instead of in spring.

And, if cleanup is going to involve charging up a ladder wielding a buzzing saw, it's best to call in a professional arborist, Janoski said. "They'll have the proper safety equipment and know the proper techniques," she said.