I've taken down several trees, since I was fourteen or so. Actually took down a good sized Buckeye, on Monday, for a friend of my wife. It had a close fence in the rear, very close to a fence on the left and almost abutting a shed on the right. Whether a tree is standing or on the ground, you'd have to be an idiot to not closely check out the surroundings before felling or cutting up.
Never heard of anything along those lines. But, that falls into closely examining the surrounding area.