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Connecticut Law About Trees
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See Also Law About Encroachment By An Adjoining Landowner

Research Guides & Information

   Connecticut Public Acts

Research guides prepared by the Connecticut Judicial Branch law librarians:

Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (State of Connecticut):

Insurance Department (State of Connecticut):

  • Homeowners Storm Claims FAQs -
    "If my tree is blown over or falls by the wind, snow or ice and damages my neighbor's property, does my policy pay to fix the damage? What if the tree damages my house? What if the tree is blown over but no structure is damaged?"

OLR Research Reports - Office of Legislative Research: 

Library Materials

Search the online catalog for availability and locations.

  • Neighbor Law: Fences, Trees, Boundaries & Noise, 9th edition, by Emily Doskow & Lina Guillen (2017).

    • Chapter 3. When a tree is injured or destroyed.

    • Chapter 4. Encroachment: invading branches and roots.

    • Chapter 5. Unsound limbs and trees.

    • Chapter 6. Boundary trees.

    • Chapter 7. Fruits and nuts: who owns what?

    • Chapter 8. Obstruction of view.

  • 8 Powell on Real Property

    • Sec. 68.11. Trees and other vegetation near boundary.

Useful Websites
 

Connecticut General Statutes

Selected Statutes:

Chapter 98 - Municipal Powers

Chapter 238 - Highway Construction and Maintenance

  • Sec. 13a-140. Removal of trees along state highways. Penalties established by municipalities.

Chapter 283 - Telephone, Gas, Power, and Water Companies

  • Sec. 16-234. Conducting vegetation management; notice to abutting and private property owners. Changing location of, erecting or placing wires, conductors, fixtures, structures or apparatus over, on or under any highway or public ground; rights of adjoining proprietors. Objections or requests for modifications. Removal or disposition of debris in utility protection zones. Provision of vegetation management plan to town or borough. Public availability.

Chapter 451 - Public Shade Trees and Tree Protection Examining Board

Chapter 451a - Forest Practices

 

Chapter 925 - Statutory Rights of Action and Defenses

  • Sec. 52-560. Damages for cutting trees, timber or shrubbery. Exclusion.

  • Sec. 52-560a. Damages for encroachment on state, municipal or nonprofit land conservation organization open space land. Attorney General enforcement. Civil action.

Click on the link to search the full-text of the statutes: https://search.cga.state.ct.us/r/statute/

Connecticut Regulations

Selected Regulations:

Title 12.  Department of Revenue Services.

  • Sec. 12-407(2)(i)(V)-1. Landscaping and horticultural services.

Title 13b. Department of Transportation.

  • Sec. 13b-17-45. Protecting tree roots.
  • Sec. 13b-31e-1. Determination of effect upon designated scenic roads.
  • Sec. 13b-31e-3. Special improvement and maintenance standards for scenic roads.

Title 23. Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

  • Sec. 12-107d-1. Definitions.
  • Sec. 12-107d-3. Standards for forest land classification.

Click the link to search or browse the Connecticut eRegulations System: https://eregulations.ct.gov/eRegsPortal/

Recent Opinions
  • Henriette Rieffel et al. v. Peter Griffin et al., Superior Court, Judicial District of Stamford-Norwalk at Stamford, FST-CV18-6038843-S (July 9, 2019) (68 Conn. L. Rptr. 863).

    [Torts ‐ Duty of owner of land ‐ Falling trees ‐ Connecticut continues to follow the Restatement of Torts rule that property owners have no liability to adjoining owners for harm caused by the falling of naturally deteriorating trees and tree limbs.]

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