DETROIT (WXYZ) — "Oh my god, that was something else I’ll never forget it," says Barbara Deretowski.
When 7 Action News Reporter Jennifer Ann Wilson first met Deretowski Sunday, she was trapped in her yard.
RELATED: Woman trapped inside home after rotted tree at Detroit Land Bank home next door falls
A large rotted tree from the property next door, which is owned by the Detroit Land Bank Authority, had broken in half and fallen on her house around 6 a.m.
"I had a hole in the roof," Deretowski said. "And what else? Oh my god, a lot a lot."
The tree was riddled with holes, rotted and infested. Deretowski's neighbor Darlene Berry called 7 Action News.
This woman says @BuildingDet just demolished the house next door and wants to know why they didn’t remove the large tree that was visibly rotted/infested/sick ... she says they should have removed the tree BEFORE it did all this damage pic.twitter.com/FECFVlr5x4
— Jennifer Ann Wilson WXYZ (@JennaWils) October 27, 2019
"I was worried all last night was what gonna get done," says Berry.
7 Action News Reporter Jennifer Ann Wilson called the city of Detroit and Detroit Land Bank Authority. A crew was sent to remove the tree Sunday. On Monday, the Land Bank sent another crew to make repairs. Berry says they should have removed the rotted tree when they demolished the house.
"I said 'it’s hollow, take it down,'" Deretowski recalled. "And they said 'no, we're not paid to take it down.'"
The Detroit Land Bank Authority released this statement:
Due to the nature of the incident, the damage has been assessed and contractors are currently making repairs. Field crews assessed the tree before demolition. Because the rot was concealed within the tree, before the weather caused it to fall, the tree was not flagged for removal.
These ladies are happy no one was hurt and that the Detroit Land Bank is addressing the issue now.
"(I'm) relieved a lot," Berry said. "I cant believe it. If it hadn’t been for Channel 7, we wouldn’t have gotten this done! I’m so glad I called you."
The DLBA told 7 Action News that they do require contractors to remove trees that are visibly dead or trees preventing access to the structure needing demolition. For other tree related issues, the DLBA says they put in maintenance requests regularly to the city of Detroit, which executes removals or trimmings as needed on their behalf.
If citizens in Detroit have concerns about trees on DLBA property, they can call the land bank at 313-974-6869 to report the concern.
