Is this a defect?

[NickfromWI]

It looks healthy, and it is leaning with the preveiling wind.

Away from the clients house and towards the neighbor's house? Then no prob!!!

 

[stehansen]

Yep.

 

[treesandsurf]

What about trying to pry apart the bark just enough to get a closer look for any cracking or fissuring behind the bark.

Looks like a little bit more than just growth fissures.

jp

 

[MasterBlaster]

Ain't nothing wrong ( bark tracing ) with removing the loose stuff.