*Gulp.* I'm not sure I can help you with this one...

I think I'd cut some of the branches laying on the ground first. That might be all I'd do, but maybe once a lot of the branches are gone the leaning part of the trunk could be dropped without too much damage to the deck, which is underneath the trunk, right?

As for the still-standing part of the tree, that looks pretty dangerous and I'd avoid it.

 

I think it looks worse than it is, but am not saying run head first into the job if you are nervous.

Me, I would limb the tree first, setting the smaller branches out with the other brush on the far side of the tree away from the camera. Then I would work my way backwards down the trunk. If you cut the tree into firewood lengths, slowly the top of the tree would "fold" back on the tree where it is splintered. Eventually you would have the broken trunk hanging by the splintered section. By my calculations, the splintered tree won't snap off as there is no inertia to make it do so. Then when you have cut higher than you can reach, just get a ladder and cut the short section of trunk off. (or use a pole saw) Then cut the trunk at ground level felling it like a regular tree in the woods Perhaps with a lawn tractor and cart you could cart the firewood length wood away even though there is no vehicle access.

Now I say this by looking at a picture. I know in reality things look a lot different.

 

Good eye, there is an old brick patio with wood railings directly underneath the butt of the broken section. I'm not to worried about that. My concern is about the deck (not visible) on the neighbor's house directly behind the tree in the first picture. It's quite a ways away from the base of the tree, but the tree is very tall and leans directly at it. If it fell the wrong way I'd be in BIG trouble.

 

Pass-yours threatening yours=different story...being a good neighbor is one thing, treading on ground not yours with great risk and liability quite another...will stay tuned though

 

You are scaring me when you say get a ladder!

 

Looking again at the pictures, I see what you mean by the deck. Would it be possible to leave the standing trunk? I looks like it was a Red Oak that forked, and one side of the fork split off. It is quite an injury and ultimately will kill the tree, but you could clean up the downed half easily enough for the interim.

 

Okay, Okay, Okay I got this. Go out and buy the biggest drone you can find. Fix a chainsaw to the drone, and fly the drone to the top of the tree. Then take smaller sections off slowly while manipulating the drone in one hand and a beer in the other. You got this. I am a certifies board genius.

 

Thanks, guys. I'm sure I could clean up most or all of the fallen part, but if this were my tree -- badly damaged, newly unbalanced and leaning at a neighbor's house -- I'd be very eager to get the rest of it safely dropped. I'm not sure how much it would save them for me to do only the easier fraction of the job.

 

Is that a Red Oak? Leaves and bark look a little different than Reds I am used to seeing. I do see a whole lot of BTU's.

 

Are u able to keep the wood from the widow maker if that's all you can do?

 

I'm sure I could, but it wouldn't be worth the trouble to carry it out. The only exit from the back yard that doesn't include going across the creek and/or across several neighbors' yards is up a significant hill and then a staircase. If I want oak, the neighbor across the street from my woodpile is going to be removing a 30" white oak directly across the street from my wood pile sometime in the next week or so.

 

Yes it is. I haven't bothered to figure out what species, exactly. "Red oak" is a pretty broad category.

 

Not to burst your bubble, but sorry, you are late to the game, that has already been thought of, is in use and works well for the power companies on rights of way as you can see in this video on Youtube.

 

Jon is working on his tree resume'

 

Yeah I like cutting as much of it as you can, taking a rope and swinging what's left off to the side ( if necessary and t test the hinge ) and cut down the rest of the tree. It's only going to rot from the damage anyway. This assumes of course there is room to safely drop the tree.

 

That is a pin oak !!!

 

If you think it's above your paygrade, just tell them you're not comfortable dealing with it, cutting up the Limb is not going to make much difference for the whole job.
Tell them this job would better handled by someone that can climb and I don't do that
For what you describe is not worth the effort to haul the wood out.
If something goes wrong, people will judge you as the dumbass that f***** up.
Like Backwoods Savage said on your property different story