westend wrote:
One of the problems with the public indiscriminately trimming trees is that not all trees should be trimmed at any time of the year. Some trees will die or become open to certain tree diseases if trimmed when the tree isn't dormant or during certain insect life cycles. Also, not all of us are arborists so possible damage to the tree may occur if trimmed improperly (read about bark branch collar).
The OP mentions that one of the obstructing trees was a fruit tree and the owner was reluctant to trim it while fruit was on the tree. This was correct on the part of the owner, fruit trees are trimmed while dormant and not while actively growing.
X10 Very well said. One guy can easily kill a tree by not knowing what he's doing. Unfortunately it won't die while they are there but a couple of weeks down the road the damage, often irreversible, becomes apparent. IMHO: Always ask first and abide by their answer. I wonder how many folks on this thread are from the "I can make my rig fit any where, just takes a little landscaping " or the "It's really a 40 footer but I put down 35' when I made the reservation crowd that never have trouble finding a site? :h