hey ..... a pic would really help ... but in my experience.. maple do that naturally.. and there is nothing you are going to do to stop it.. they lift the soil at the trunk.... and with their surface.. fibrous roots... right at the trunk.. there probably isnt any soil for you to remove.. if in fact.. i doubt you could get a shovel in there ... if you wanted to .... your base problem.. is that you want to force an aesthetic on the way a tree naturally grows ... why cant you just let it do its own thing??? if it were bugging me.. i would round up the grass... and throw some mulch over it.. and be done with it .. and quit trying to grow grass under a huge tree .. you know.. in nature... there are not lawns under forest trees ... just leaf litter.. aka mulch ... the short story is.. you are fighting nature.. its natural tendencies.. with trying to grow grass there.. so instead of growing the grass.. think about solving your dilemma some other way .... good luck ken

Hi Cary, Not a pro but....can you possibly take a picture of each side of the toilet? One picture on the left side and one picture on the right side, and at the ground level? Also, can you take a picture of the 'front' of the toilet but at the ground level as well? Lastly, can you lift off the backseat's top lid and take a picture of the internal flushing mechanism? We want to see how this toilet is mounted to the floor and the wall as well as the inside of the toilet. Based on these two pictures, this Kohler toilet looks to be a one-piece type of toilet. The bolts have to be screwed in somehow and there should be some type of washer or hex nut that tightens this bolt securely to the toilet bowl. If you have the model of the toilet, even better. Best, Tai Truong Elements of Design 3400 Medford Street Los Angeles, CA 90063 tai@lusivedecor.com www.elementsofdesign.com

Just removing your portion of concrete would leave the neighbor's concrete. So that could then allow a concentration of water flowing onto your portion. This is not from the viewpoint of the soil accepting the water, it is from the viewpoint of the building. The basement walls may not have adequate waterproofing or drainage, especially if an old brick rowhouse where there are noticeable holes in the wall. There may be gutters dumping here and the concrete has a swale to direct water out. Hence the statements of "without actual pics" and "potential water issues." Planters are always viable solutions. However, there may be utilities here that need foot access. There may be a view of the neighbor's area that looks like a back alley, so maybe a fence might be better. With what looks like a 3' width, the concept of any planters can vary greatly. Actual pics would benefit in giving ideas to enhance your views out your windows.

No idea. Start smashing but have money set aside for repairs. Old houses can be sneaky.