32 Trees in New Jersey Illegally Cut Down for NYC Skyline View Racks Up $1.5M in Fines

(Photo : Markus Spiske / Unsplash)
A man in New Jersey is facing fines of around $1.5M after he illegally felled 32 trees to improve his view of the New York City skyline.

A man in New Jersey is facing charges of around $1.5M after illegally cutting down 32 trees on his neighbor's property to improve his view of the New York City skyline.

For the Love of an NYC Skyline View

To have better views of the Manhattan skyline, a New Jersey homeowner cut down 32 of his neighbor's trees on a hillside in a small town

.As a result, the neighbor is upset and officials saif that the homeowner might now be required to pay more than $1.5 million in fines as well as the additional replacement costs.

Kinnelon resident Samih Shinway is upset that a fourth of his oaks, birches, and maples were cut down.

According to borough forester John Linson on Tuesday, his neighbor Grant Haber, a specialist in munitions, received a first fine of $32,000 ($1,000 per tree cut down) for removing a portion of the lush, 7-acre property in March, NorthJersey.com reported.

According to a municipal rule, anyone who illegally cuts down a tree in Kinnelon is also required to replace it with a tree of a similar or superior type.

The issue is that repairing the toppled trees will necessitate creating a road to the location and watering the newly planted trees for two years, a labor-intensive task expected to cost $1.5 million, according to Shinway.

According to Shinway, Haber will also need to account for the cost of adding soil, getting rid of unwanted species, and cleaning up.

Illegal Tree Removal and Trespassing

On Wednesday, Haber, the CEO of a business that fights terrorism, was unavailable for comment. His business, American Innovations, provides equipment to spot IEDs on the battlefield.

According to Kinnelon prosecutor Kim Kassar, the sapling slasher is also accused of trespassing in addition to at least 32 counts of illegal tree removal.

Early in March, according to Shinway, he saw workmen allegedly felling treasured fir trees on his estate, which is located about 35 miles west of New York City.

Shinway hopped on a four-wheeler and headed over when he heard several chainsaws. That's when He came across a cemetery of 20 to 150-year-old conifers that had been cut into pieces with a chainsaw.

Also Read: Tree Rings: Scientists Use a Simple Method to Unlock Trees' History Without Cutting

More Fines

Four contractors and a landscape vehicle with a sizable shredder were seen on Shinway's property. They stated that the "owner" who hired them desired a view of the city and mountains.

Shinway demanded a replacement for his trees after he called the police. The potential penalty for two contractors is $400,000. The event was described in a tweet by Linson's friend Sam Glickman, which went viral and disrupted a Zoom court hearing.

The case of Shinway against Haber was later postponed to July 18.

Glickman estimated in a tweet that replacing the trees that Haber had already cut down would cost $32,000 in addition to the cost of the trees themselves, which is according to the bylaws stated by Borough of Kinnelon.

A final cost estimate for cutting conifers has not been confirmed by municipal officials.

In order to protect an "active criminal prosecution," Kinnelon Town Prosecutor Kim Kassar did not respond to inquiries, New York Post reports.