Guest article: Mediation opens communication lines

A winter storm roared through California, leaving heavy snow, and weeks of rain. The storm caused the crashing of pines and oaks, as well as power loss for thousands of residential homes and commercial buildings.

The storm caused a massive tree to crash and fall in the night, splitting the office building of a local dentist in two.  In addition, the same storm uprooted a massive pine over 100 feet tall. The roots were no longer attached to the ground, thus removing the source of life and balance for the tree, causing it to call on a local veterinary hospital. The uprooted tree, which was owned by a neighboring property owner who was currently out of state, hung suspended over the veterinary hospital that housed sick dogs and cats and a neighboring property. Emergency personnel could not allow access to the veterinary hospital as it was a public safety hazard.