Was the building new construction? How far was it from the new building? What kind of tree is it? How much rain have you gotten?

Sometimes the trunk gets buried too deeply...check to see if in the course of grading that piled dirt around the trunk. Or did they pile mulch around the tree too deeply? Maybe put one of those stupid raised beds around the tree, burying the roots deeper then they should be? If that's the problem, it's easy to fix. Just dig out around the tree to expose the root flare.

Unfortunately, most of the other possible problems aren't so easy to fix. They could have damaged the roots by driving over them with construction equipment...they could have cut through a lot of roots by building the house...the new house could be giving it more shade then it is used to.

Did they pave over a lot of dirt? A thick layer of pavement keeps roots from breathing and keeps water from getting down to them. There are a few kinds of trees that tolerate this, but a lot that don't.

...or it could just be a drought.

This post was edited by edlincoln on Wed, Sep 17, 14 at 13:18

or it could just be fall.. and the leaves are shutting down and getting ready to fall off...

there is NOTHING TO DO.. this time of year.. in the great white north.. and all of canada.. is the GWN ....

do nothing ...

i have no idea.. why you involved your government .. why they would get involved .. or why they would take it down ... but if its a city tree on city property .... .. well.. they can do whatever they want .. eh???

ken

This is a long shot, but there are several species of ash plant bugs (if indeed that is an ash, looks like it) that cause a similar stippling pattern on the leaves (usually from the underside). The genus is a mouthful, Tropidosteptes. You might give them a look.