I think you might be referring to Verticillium wilt. This soil pathogen is very common and can affect a great many different types of plants although maples seem to be some of the most vulnerable when it comes to woody plants.

The best thing you can do is educate yourself on this disease. I've attached one very good link but there are many more, often with photos that show symptoms and some diagnostic tools. So do some Googling :-))

This is a very opportunistic pathogen that can lay dormant in the soil for several decades and then spring to life once conditions are right - usually the trigger is some sort of significant stressor, like weird weather conditions, drought, poor drainage, root disruption or otherwise compromised health. The good news is that while one plant is affected, another susceptible species immediately adjacent may not be. So you may not need to be worried about your trees at all. The disease can be transmitted by mechanical means as well, so do not use pruners or other garden tools that may have come into contact with the affected plant without sterilizing.

There are several other, less serious diseases that can affect maples that can resemble VW so do not be hasty to jump to conclusions. About the only way you will know for sure is take some of the affected tree to your extension office or plant pathologist for a proper diagnosis.

Here is a link that might be useful: Verticillium wilt

Thanks for the info. Yes I was referring to VW, I've heard it referred as Maple Wilt and that's much shorter to type out. :) I have read about it and I still don't seem to get great info on the spread in distance in any landscape suburban area. We live in close proximity, in a more city setting. I am more concerned because we have a lovely neighborhood but our neighbors to our left and the neighbor next to them (with the trees in question) don't seem to be very concerned with proper lawn care. They don't mulch properly or prune what they should, like dead branches and they are late in tidying up fallen leaves in autumn. My trees line that side of the property to them and we are quite attached to them, they create very a beautiful wall. I just was trying to gage if there is anything I could do to prevent mine, if I'm reading into some dead branches and curling leaves too much. You google those symptoms and you get VW. I had called a nursery and they told me its tar spot because we've had more rain then normal. It that doesn't seem to fit dead leaves accordingly to any googling. I understand VW can live in the soil for many years, but these trees both, since both have the symptoms, one just one tiny branch the other more extensive but not bad, are probably 50-70 years old. So I guess I was just trying to get a little peace of mind but seem to be making it worse as I am just not sure on what it is. Both trees look as they normally do any other year minus these brown curled dead branches.

A tree that old might just be losing a few branches due to drought or just by getting shaded out by the branches above. It might not be VW at all. Look at the branches real close and see if you can see a reason for their failure, like an obvious injury. VW seems to be rather random where it strikes.
Mike

Would a rainy spring cause this? Even though there on the branch tips of the lower branches they are still too high to examine the leaf. I have noticed the second tree in the backyard have about 6-7 small branches have dead brown, curled leaves on the ends. Scattered throughout the tree. Any hunches? I'm stumped. Doesn't seem to fit into any category of disease I've read, not textbook anyhow. Could it be anthracnose? Since its seems to be lower on the tree? I do see some green on the center but again the leaves are curled and up so high even a ladder wouldn't help much. I'll try to get a good image that might help

I saw this on my tree this morning. This is taken from my second floor, as I can't get any closer. Any insight. This is what's all over the neighbors tree, mainly on the bottom.