Tree Roots

Re “Problems With Street Trees,” letters, Dec. 2: I believe this is an area problem. My street has magnolia trees, and they really foul up the plumbing. Earlier this year, it cost me almost $4,000 to have the pipes from my house to the street replaced, because the tree roots had grown into the pipelines. This was not fun. I was told by the plumbers that this situation exists all over the county, not just in L.A.

Homeowners should not have to pay for this, as the trees were planted in the parkways by the city (and in my case, before I bought the property). And of course we can’t remove the trees because they belong to the city. Is this fair?

LORRAINE DAVIS

North Hollywood