Abington, PA Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)
Key Facts
- Sidewalk clearance
- 8 feet
- Street clearance
- 14 feet
- Notice period before township acts
- 30 days
- Cost recovery method
- Municipal lien with interest
Summary
Abington Township requires owners and occupants of abutting property to trim trees, hedges and other vegetation along the street or sidewalk so there is a clear passage of 8 feet above sidewalks and 14 feet above streets at all times. Failing to keep that clearance is declared a public nuisance, and the township can perform the trimming and lien the property for the cost.
§ 143-16. Trimming of trees and other vegetation. The owner or occupants of property abutting on the streets or sidewalks in Abington Township shall cut, alter, remove or trim any trees, hedges, shrubbery, underbrush, hedges, shrubbery, underbrush or any other obstructions growing along such streets or sidewalks immediately in front of or adjacent to the owner's or occupant's property so as to provide at all times a clear passage of eight feet above the sidewalks and 14 feet above the streets. It is hereby decreed that failure to maintain such a clear passage shall constitute public nuisances, and the obstructions shall be removed as herein provided. § 143-1 ... ... 8. Violations and penalties. If the property owner or occupant fails to comply with the requirements of such notice within 30 days from the date of its service, the Township Commissioners shall cause the necessary work to be done to remove the obstruction at the expense of the owner or occupant and the entire cost, including interest, shall be a lien upon the premises and shall be filed and collected by the Township of Abington in the same manner as municipal claims are filed and collected.
Full Breakdown
Township Code Section 143-16, adopted under Article II of Chapter 143, 'Obstructions Over Sidewalks,' places the trimming duty on the owner or occupant of property abutting the street or sidewalk: they must cut, alter, remove or trim trees, hedges, shrubbery, underbrush or any other obstruction growing along the frontage of their property so as to provide a clear passage of eight feet above the sidewalk and 14 feet above the street at all times. The code expressly labels a failure to maintain that clearance a public nuisance.
Enforcement runs through Section 143-17: if the owner or occupant does not remove the obstruction, a Township Officer serves written notice stating the reason for the notice, the corrective action required and a reasonable deadline to complete it, served by leaving it at the owner's residence or, for an owner without a township residence, by registered mail and posting on the property. Under Section 143-18, if the owner or occupant does not comply within 30 days of service, the Township Commissioners have the work done at the owner's or occupant's expense, and the full cost, plus interest, becomes a lien on the property collected the same way as other municipal claims.
Violations & Fines
Noncompliance is not a straight fine; instead the Township Commissioners perform the trimming after 30 days' notice and place the entire cost, with interest, as a lien against the property, collected in the same manner as other municipal claims under Section 143-18.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much tree clearance does Abington Township require over a sidewalk?
What if I don't trim trees blocking the sidewalk?
Who is responsible for overhanging branches, the township or the homeowner?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Abington
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