Hearings Set for State Bills Mandating Tree Care

 A state legislative panel will be holding a public hearing on two bills that would impose new mandates on property owners to take care of their trees.
       The Judiciary Committee has scheduled the hearing on the bills and other proposals for 10 a.m. Monday at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford.
       One bill would require landowners to visually inspect their properties and remove trees and limbs that appear to be unhealthy or in a potentially dangerous condition. The proposal would also establish that a property owner has knowledge of a tree's defect upon receiving or refusing to receive a certified letter notifying the owner of the problem.
       The other bill would make property owners responsible for the cost of removing trees and limbs that fall on neighboring properties.