"You can plant whatever you want on your own property as long as you don't hit buried utilities"
Yeahhhh.... that isn't always the case, especially not with trees. At least, here that is. You plant a tree, and depending on species, it can impact the view. We have laws regarding interfering with line of sight and so on, that require planning permission. Ditto with water courses and so on, what you do affects whoever's downstream.
That said, most wetland species tend not to be too tall and in the case of the basement turned pond there isn't a downstream to consider. Although pooled water like can affect the local hydrological structure.. if there's standing ground water year round now, the car park might experience subsidence, maybe even a land slip.
That said... the old homeowner could've sued them because of the run-off affecting her property. and the new trees should bind the soil nicely, as well as control the amount of subsoil water due to transpiration.
Re: Thoughts
"You can plant whatever you want on your own property as long as you don't hit buried utilities"
Yeahhhh.... that isn't always the case, especially not with trees. At least, here that is. You plant a tree, and depending on species, it can impact the view. We have laws regarding interfering with line of sight and so on, that require planning permission. Ditto with water courses and so on, what you do affects whoever's downstream.
That said, most wetland species tend not to be too tall and in the case of the basement turned pond there isn't a downstream to consider. Although pooled water like can affect the local hydrological structure.. if there's standing ground water year round now, the car park might experience subsidence, maybe even a land slip.
That said... the old homeowner could've sued them because of the run-off affecting her property. and the new trees should bind the soil nicely, as well as control the amount of subsoil water due to transpiration.