Daily News | Inquirer readers did what the city didn’t: Help a Germantown homeowner remove a fallen tree
about her saga. Emails poured in from readers across the region who were touched and outraged by her story. Some offered to pay to remove the tree. Others said they couldn’t afford the entire cost but wanted to contribute. A few offered to take a chainsaw to the tree themselves. A group of women that runs a small charity and a Chinatown nonprofit wanted to know what they could do. In all, 22 people reached out to help Smalley.
Less than an hour and a half after The Inquirer published the story online, a woman in her 70s reached out to a reporter and said she wanted — without publicity — to pay to remove the tree and repair Smalley’s deck. Part one happened Wednesday. Now, the woman is searching for a contractor to fix the broken planks and stairs of Smalley’s deck.
Without the article and readers’ response, Smalley said, she has no doubt that tree would still be lying in her yard.Who’s responsible for this tree? Philly tree rules, and what to do when a tree is a problem A local construction company that specializes in stucco repair is even paying to cut down a tall tree in Smalley’s backyard with branches that nearly touch the window of a back bedroom. Smalley fears it will fall.