The Collards hired a licensed tree-trimming company to prune 13 trees, including five trees on city property near the street that they later found out they were not supposed to touch, Michael Collard said.

In June, the city told the tree trimmers to stop pruning the 13 trees.

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The Collards should have gotten a permit for the work, McFall said. It?EUR??,,????'?????<

The city ordinance applies to property owners, not tree-trimming contractors.

Fines are calculated based on a formula that takes into account the size of the tree and other factors, McFall said.