How to Identify Ownership of a Tree
As far as ownership and maintenance, the trees in our subdivision fall into 4 categories. Trees may belong to individual homeowners, the City of Champaign, the Champaign Park District, or the Homeowners Association. The following guide and maps will help homeowners determine the entity responsible for the maintenance of specific trees.
Trees located within the property lines of each home are the responsibility of the homeowner.
As a rule any tree located in a front yard between the sidewalk and the house is the responsibility of the homeowner.
For houses with a commons area or lake in the back, the rear property line determines which trees are owned by the homeowner.
All trees located along the side and in the middle of a public street are owned and maintained by the City of Champaign.
As a rule, if a tree is located between the sidewalk and the street, it is owned by the city.
Also all trees located on the center islands that run down the middle of Prairie Meadow Drive, Valley Brook Drive, and the southern part of Scottsdale Drive are owned by the city.
Trees on the round islands located at the end of a cul-de-sac are also City of Champaign trees.
With some exceptions, trees located along our walking paths are owned and maintained by the Champaign Park District.
The Park District also maintains the trees in Robeson Park and the trees in Meadow Square Park (inside the curb around the park).
The majority of Park District trees in our subdivision are located along the walking path that begins on Duncan Road south of Valley Brook Drive and runs past the small lake across Scottsdale and turns north towards Robeson Park.
Exceptions include trees on the walking path that runs along the west side of the big lake, trees in the spillway area running west of the big lake towards Duncan Road, and trees along the walking path that runs from behind Misty Meadow Place west to Duncan Road. Trees in these areas are owned and maintained by the Homeowner’s Association.
Trees not owned by individual homeowners, or the City of Champaign, or the Champaign Park District are owned and maintained by the Homeowner’s Association.
HOA-owned trees include those on the walking path along the west side of the big lake, trees in the commons area that runs from the big lake spillway west to Duncan Road (in the area between Valley Brook and Heathwood Ct.), and trees along the section of the walking path that runs from behind Misty Meadow Place west to Duncan Road.
Tree Inventory Maps
The City of Champaign and the Champaign Park District each maintain a detailed map of their tree inventories.
When the map opens, the green tree icons may not be visible. Click several times to zoom in and the tree icons will appear. You may also click on an individual tree to see details on the type of tree and other information.
