Who pays to cut down 70 dead or dying ash trees on Northfield Drive?

Ash trees planted in 1978inthe backyards of homes on Northlake Drive, but backing onto NorthfieldDrive in Waterloo are dead or dying and need to be cut down after being infestedby the highly destructive emerald ash beetle.

But who picks up the estimated $1200 tab per tree for cutting them downis in question.

The City of Waterloo told about 30 householdsin a section of NorthfieldDrive, between Weber St. N. and Skylark Rd., that it's the homeowners'responsibility because the trees are on their property.

Planted on easement

Milena Urbanajc, a resident who has seven of the trees on her property, said the trees are planted on an easement. Urbanajc said this means that even though homeowners own the property the city has overall usagerights to it.

"Property owners have told me, for years they have had restrictions [placed by the city] on this land to do anything," Urbanajc told CBC.

"We definitely want the city, the region, because it's a regional road, to take responsibility in helping the residents deal with this immense issue."

Proof

But the City of Waterloo said the trees are planted on private property. Now the homeowners say they've found proof of the easement.

"People are pulling out original surveys from 1978 with the specific measurements," said Urbanajc.

"The easement is approximately 26 feet (7.92 metres) into our property. That's huge!" Behind the easement is the reserve which she believes is the sidewalk.

CBC Kitchener-Waterloo has reached out to the City of Waterloo for a comment but none was available at this time.

Listen to the interview with MilenaUrbanajchere: