Prune trees on your own lot freely, but street and park trees belong to the city. Saginaw Township treats a neighbor's overhanging branches as a civil matter, and Frankenmuth makes owners keep branches clear of streets. Emerald ash borer reshaped the whole canopy.
Across Saginaw County the tree in the right-of-way between sidewalk and curb is city property. The City of Saginaw's right-of-way crews inspect and trim parkway trees and remove hazards; residents call 989-399-1311 rather than cutting them. Frankenmuth's Chapter 43 bans topping public trees and requires every owner of a tree overhanging a street to keep an eight-foot clearance above the sidewalk. Saginaw Township tells residents that limbs from a neighbor's tree are a civil, neighbor-to-neighbor matter. Under Michigan common law you may trim a neighbor's branches back to the property line at your own cost. Emerald ash borer has killed most of the valley's ash.
Nothing for sensibly pruning your own trees. Topping or damaging a city street or park tree without authorization violates local ordinance; in Frankenmuth it is a municipal civil infraction carrying a $50 to $500 fine.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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See how Saginaw County's tree trimming rules stack up against other locations.
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