HOUSTON – In the aftermath of the storm, residents in Magnolia Park have expressed concerns over trees they say are not on their property and also not being properly maintained.
“The problem you can see, apparently the tree which is on the outside of our property is grown out on top of our house and you can see the lines are interlined there,” said Amira Soto just yards from where a 31-year-old mother was crushed to death Thursday by a tree in her driveway.
Aside from a tree falling on her home, Soto has other concerns for her family if the tree falls elsewhere, “The fear is that if a tree falls that way or if one of those big branches falls, it will pull the actual wires from the house causing a fire,” said Soto.
Soto told KPRC 2 Investigates she called 311 a few years ago and says she was told there was nothing the city could do.
Mayor John Whitmire reinforced who is responsible on Monday, “Yeah, it’s CenterPoint, it’s their lines, their operations.”
Council member Joaquin Martinez, who represents the district, said this has been a problem throughout parts of the city for some time.
“You can call 311, just to help make some documentation at least, but CenterPoint is your point of contact. The city doesn’t go out and interfere with any of the tree limbs that are within the power lines,” said Martinez.
CenterPoint says they have Vegetation Teams tasked with addressing tree growth. They say the best course of action for homeowners is to speak with their customer service.
