My city recently gave me an ordinance violation for three palm trees on my property. They haven’t been trimmed in many years. We have the option to trim or remove them to avoid fines going forward.
Obviously trimming them is cheaper in the short term, $1,800 for this trim, but since we will now have to do it annually (~ $500 or more every year) in perpetuity the cost in the long run will end up being significantly more. We are thinking that removal might be the best option for long term savings and also less work since once they are gone we won’t have to deal with them anymore going forward. They are extremely messy and are a fire hazard. Fronds fall onto our house and onto our neighbors house and into their side yard. Their location on property makes trimming a hassle as well. we have to use our neighbor’s driveway for the equipment to access them, so I think our neighbors would love to have them gone as well.
The biggest issue is the upfront cost of removal which will be somewhere between $7,500 and $9,000. I’m unsure about the best way to pay for it. I can put it on my credit card but I’m wondering if a HELOC or personal loan would be a better option because the interest rates for those would be lower than the credit card interest.
Any advice about the smartest way to save money on this type of cost would be greatly appreciated.
