Action 9: Woman can't remove dying tree because of energy company

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Angela Clayton has a dying Oak tree in her yard she wants to have taken down, but a tree company told her they won't touch it until Duke Energy trims back branches hanging over the power lines to her house.

"I'm worried sick the tree is going to fall," said Clayton.

Clayton said for four years Duke has told her they'd put it in their tree trimming cycle.

A few weeks ago Clayton called back.

"Told me that they have more important things to worry about," said Clayton.

Clayton's next door neighbor, Brenda Blackwelder, said Duke told her if the wires were touching the tree they could do something.

"Well to me it looks like the wires are touching the tree, and they now say they can't do anything about it," said Blackwelder.

When Channel 9 contacted Duke Energy, a representative from Duke said, "Should have asked them to drop the service line."

The representative claimed that if she would have requested that, her tree company could have removed the tree.

Clayton claims that she was never given that option.

When Channel Nine got in touch with Duke Energy, they sent a crew to cut back the limbs over the power lines.

Clayton took a video of the work in progress.

"I'm really happy with how much they took off; it'll make it a lot easier for a tree company to take it down.

Clayton said she can now schedule that work.

WSOC