Delaware County does not regulate tree trimming on residential streets. In municipalities that have adopted the Pennsylvania Shade Tree Act, a shade-tree commission has exclusive control of trees in the public right-of-way. Trees wholly on your own land are yours to prune.
Under the PA Shade Tree Act of 1907 (53 P.S. §2811), a municipality may appoint a three-member shade-tree commission with exclusive and absolute custody and control of shade trees on public highways, including the power to plant, remove, maintain, protect and care for them. Where that applies, pruning a street tree or verge tree may require commission approval or be done by the municipality. Trees entirely on private property are generally unregulated at the county level and may be pruned by the owner, subject to common-law rules against harming a neighbor's tree. Delaware County itself only manages trees in county parks.
A shade-tree commission may make and enforce regulations, assess fines and penalties for injuring protected street trees, and those penalties can become a lien on the offender's real property, collected like tax liens.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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Delaware County parks are open to the public only from dawn to dusk (exception by permit only). No one may remain in a county park after hours unless authori...
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Delaware County has no light-trespass ordinance. Whether a neighbor's floodlight spilling onto your property is a violation depends on your municipality's li...
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Delaware County has no countywide dark-sky ordinance. Outdoor-lighting and shielding rules are set by each borough or township through its zoning or subdivis...
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Delaware County does not regulate yard-sale signs on private property. Temporary garage-sale signs are governed by your borough or township sign ordinance, w...
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Delaware County has no sign ordinance for private property. Political-sign rules (size, number, how long before and after an election) are set by your boroug...
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Delaware County sets no tiny-home rule. Whether a tiny house on a foundation is allowed is decided by your municipality's zoning ordinance, and it must meet ...
See how Delaware County's tree trimming rules stack up against other locations.
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