Residents in some of Dublin's leafy suburbs are taking legal action against Dublin City Council over damage caused to their cars and properties by sap exuded by council-owned trees.
The complaints, mainly from householders in the Ballsbridge and surrounding Dublin 4 area, as well as Glasnevin and Raheny, assert that sap has stripped paint and caused marks to the bodywork of cars, driveways and the front of houses.
The main culprits are lime and maple trees, which exude a sticky sap. The council says sap, dropped berries and falling leaves are natural occurrences, and it does not intend to entertain complaints.
"This natural phenomenon is one of the downsides of living on tree-lined streets," said city parks superintendent Gerry Barry.
He said trees provided ecological and aesthetic benefits. "This overall value has to be weighted against the inconvenience of having to regularly clean cars which are affected by falling sap."
The council's claims department said it had received just a handful of claims about sap, and had not "paid out" on any of them. "You have to expect if you park underneath trees that leaves and sap could fall on your car, and we can't be held responsible for that," said Harry Rose of the department.
Labour councillor Seán Kenny has called on the council to carry out an audit of the city's roadside trees and restrict the planting of tree species which cause damage to cars. He is also asking the council to assist residents in the removal of sap from cars.
The council said it already restricted the planting of species that were prone to exuding sap, and said washing cars should eliminate the problem.
