Vancouver couple say they warned city about tree before it fell on vehicles

A Vancouver couple who live across the street from McBride Park on the city's west side say they repeatedly told the city a tree on the southern edge of the park posed a danger – but nothing was done.

On Sunday, the tree came crashing down, causing significant damage to a pair of vehicles owned by Danny and Ellen Scodeller.

"It sounded like an earthquake – like a big snap and an earthquake,” Danny said. “And then when I saw it come down, for about a minute there I was in shock because I couldn't believe what I just saw."

The Scodellers have lived in their house on West 5th Avenue for 37 years and over that time they’ve watched the large trees in McBride Park grow.

A few years ago, they became concerned.

"Every year I've reported to the city to have a look at this tree, please. And we were told it was safe,” Danny said. "We even asked them when they pruned it in the summer, why don't you do the street side? And they said it wasn't in their work order."

The Scodellers provided CTV News with a photo they say shows the tree leaning significantly towards the street after some large branches on the opposite side were removed.

On Tuesday morning, a crew from the city began cutting the fallen tree into pieces.

A truck with a crane attachment was required to lift the large trunk from where it was resting on the Scodellers' Fiat 500 and three-month-old Jeep.

They say it began to lean significantly on Sunday morning, to the point they were concerned it was slowly tipping over. They were preparing to go inspect it when it suddenly toppled.

Looking at the damage to the vehicles, the couple say they are just grateful no people were in the immediate area when it happened.

"I think it was fortunate nobody got hurt. Because when I looked out the window somebody was jogging by about five minutes beforehand,” Danny said.

"I was just about to head out there to have a look and then it came down. So, luckily I decided to finish my coffee first before I went out and that probably saved me from getting hurt."

The final damage assessment on the Fiat and the Jeep will be up to ICBC but the couple fears both vehicles will have to be written off.

"It's such a great car and I didn't realize I was so attached to it until I saw it under the tree,” Ellen said about the Fiat. "I don't want another car. I want that one fixed. But we'll see. I mean, thankfully no one was hurt."

The City of Vancouver said its urban forestry team routinely assesses and manages trees that could pose a risk.

It removes about 2,000 potentially dangerous trees annually.

"Extreme weather may impact even the healthiest and stable trees and as such, there is always a certain degree of risk associated with trees in an urban environment," it said in a statement.

The city added that if a resident has a concern with a tree they can alert staff through 311.

The Scodellers say they did that several times before the tree they had concerns with crashed down on their vehicles.