US man faces 1 Million Dollar fine for illegally cutting neighbor's trees

In a recent court hearing in Kinnelon, New Jersey, a homeowner found himself in hot water after pleading guilty to ordering the removal of trees on his neighbor's property without proper permits. Grant Haber, as reported by the Daily Record, admitted to having 32 trees cut down, purportedly to enhance his view of the New York City skyline.

Initially facing fines of $1,000 per tree, Haber struck a plea deal that saw him agree to pay a total of $13,194. The number of trees under scrutiny was reduced to 18, resulting in a fine of $700 per tree.

However, Haber's financial woes might not end there. The borough's prosecutor hinted at additional costs exceeding $1 million, which may include the planting of replacement trees. A restitution hearing set for April 19 will determine the final amount.

Haber's co-defendant, Ronald Fallas, who carried out the tree removal, also pleaded guilty. Fallas admitted to mistakenly relying on Haber to secure permission and permits. Meanwhile, charges against another co-defendant were dropped with a caution.

The neighbor whose trees were unlawfully felled, Samih Shinway, was present at the hearing. Expressing his discontent afterward, Shinway said, "I'm never going to be 100% satisfied." He likened the situation to hiring someone to carry out a harmful act, emphasizing shared responsibility.

A friend who is a municipal arborist just called to tell me about a guy who cut down 32 big mature trees on his neighbor's NJ property to get a better view of NYC. He hired a guy who hired another guy. Cut them down and left the debris there. The fine per tree is $1000 so the 1/

— Create Alliances for Better and Prepare for Worse. (@SamAsIAm) June 26, 2023

Last June, the incident gained widespread attention after a thread was posted on X by a user named @SamAsIAm. The post detailed the tree-cutting incident, sparking outrage and scrutiny from the public.