Community members concerned with overgrown tree in neighborhood

Community members in a Gulfport neighborhood are concerned for their safety after three branches have fallen on their roofs multiple times.

Now, one neighbor says he is desperate to have someone help them in this situation.

John Neumeyer has lived on West Railroad Street in Gulfport for the last two years. During this time, he has experienced major issues with the trees on the property next to his. He says the woman who owns the property where the trees are refuses to do anything to help. “I’m in fear of my safety or anyone who comes to my home because of these overgrown trees. They have fallen through my roof before in the past.”

Besides the trees being a safety hazard, John tells News 25 he has had to spend thousands of dollars in repairs and removal. A receipt from June 2017 shows he had to pay $350 to have the tree removed from his property. “I had to spend between $2,000 and $3,000 to get the tree removed off of my roof, as well as get another tree cut down by a licensed tree company. I also had to rent dumpsters to have the tree put in and labor to put the trees in the dumpster. So I’ve never received any reimbursement from her on this.”

The neighbors on the other side of this home have also experienced the same issues. Jimmy Stump is a disabled Air Force veteran and also had one of the tree branches fall on his roof and it caused a leak. “If I’m out here and that limb falls, I’d be under it.”

The neighbors say they hope something can be done to help them feel more safe. “A  licensed tree company come in and remove the tree or cut back the limbs where we are not in jeopardy of being killed if a tree limb falls in our roof.”

News 25 reached out to the property owner. She declined to comment on this safety issue.