It's always good to maintain good relations with your neighbors -- but when it comes to getting that picture perfect view -- things sometimes go awry.
© William Westhoven/Daily Record + © Merrily Cassidy/Cape Cod Times / USA TODAY NETWORK
(Kinnelon, NJ) – How much does it cost to cut down trees in New Jersey? Well, when you do it without a permit — it can be pretty costly. That’s something security executive Grant Haber found out the hard way in the leafy, affluent community of Kinnelon. In March of last year he hired contractors to cut down 32 trees. The problem is those trees were located on his neighbor’s property.
The neighbor was furious. Haber had cut down the trees to get a better view of the New York City skyline from his home. Now, a judge has ruled he must pay $13,000 since he didn’t have a permit. It could have been twice that amount — but a settlement deal saw Haber agree to pay for 18 of the 32 trees felled. The deal also means a trespassing charge has been dropped against him.
Of course, “crime” sometimes does pay — Haber sold the home for $1.8 million last November — which was $500,000 higher than what he bought it for in 2014. But his legal woes aren’t over — separate proceedings will determine damages. Experts say Haber could be forced to pay up to $1 million to care for and replace the trees he ordered cut down.
