Case Result · Insurance Claim
Marin County neighbor tree fall — pre-litigation mediation resolved
A Marin County homeowner’s insurance carrier sought a preliminary finding of prior tree-owner knowledge before opening negotiation. CanopyMetrics traced the subject cedar’s decline through available arborist reports (2019 inspection, 2021 HOA note) and tied the documented defects to the failure that damaged the neighbors’ structure. The matter resolved at a pre-litigation mediation session between the carriers without further retention required.
Case Result · Permits
Sonoma County construction TPZ compliance — permit counter appeal cleared
A Sonoma County residential rebuild was denied at permit counter for incomplete TPZ documentation on three heritage oaks. CanopyMetrics prepared an ISA-compliant TPZ plan with on-site protective fencing specs, branch pruning to ANSI A300, and a monitoring schedule. The Sonoma County Permit and Resource Management Department approved the package on resubmission and the project retained its original timeline.
Case Result · Consulting
Napa County pre-sale risk assessment — escrow unblocked at the closing table
A Napa County escrow opened with a buyer demand for an independent arborist assessment of two crown-dieback valley oaks over the foundation. CanopyMetrics produced a TRAQ Level 2 within 9 calendar days, gave counsel the Civil Code § 3346 valuation range, and the parties closed with a written escrow credit that matched the documented liability band.
Case Result · Subrogation
Sonoma County subrogation — $220K structure loss recovered
A 2025 wind event caused a Ganoderma-decayed blue oak to fail onto a Healdsburg residence. The carrier retained CanopyMetrics within 10 days of the loss — before the failed tree was removed — to document as-found condition and link a 2023 HOA inspection record (which had noted a conk and recommended "monitoring") to the pre-loss hazardous condition. The carrier recovered the full structural amount plus supplemental damages at mediation. Opposing expert disqualification was prepared but not needed once mediation produced settlement.
Case Result · Litigation Support
Marin County TPZ violation — lifted stop-work after 6 weeks
A Marin County developer retained CanopyMetrics within 4 days of a stop-work order for an alleged heritage-oak TPZ violation. A TRAQ Level 2 report plus an ISA Best Management Practices-aligned mitigation protocol was submitted to Marin County Planning. The county accepted the protocol, lifted the stop-work, and required ongoing monitoring for the project life. Pre-litigation consultation disclosed no privilege issue — CanopyMetrics wrote the report, the developer’s counsel filed it.
Frequently asked questions
Read these before deciding what to do with a case-result pattern from above. If anything is still unclear, a short consultation is the fastest next step.
Are these real arborist engagements?
Yes, anonymized. County, year, and matter type are preserved; client names, addresses, and identifiable fact patterns are removed. They are short summaries, not full case studies.
Why aren't the parties named?
Reference summaries only. Naming parties would compromise confidentiality, and case results are presented as pattern recognition, not as case law.
Will the arborist who did this work take my matter?
Possibly. The engagement is staffed by the credentialed arborist whose methodology is described here; a consultation intake is the structured next step.
What does a case result like 'TPZ defense, Marin, 2025' actually mean to me?
It means a developer-side TPZ defense was supported by an arborist report that survived the planning counter-argument; the field at the top of each blurb tells you the segment.
Do these results reflect settlement or trial outcomes?
Each blurb notes the disposition — settlement, motion, trial, and the like — where it is on the public record; engagements that did not reach a public disposition are marked as such.
Have a matter with similar facts?
Request a consultation on an anonymized case-result pattern from the blurbs above.
Request a consultation →