A homeowner in Kinnelon, New Jersey, pleaded guilty on Monday to cutting down trees on his neighbor’s property without a permit. According to the Daily Record, Grant Haber allegedly ordered the removal of 32 trees to improve his view of the New York City skyline. Haber was originally facing $1,000 fines per tree, but as part of a plea agreement, he agreed to pay a total of $13,194, and the number of trees considered was decreased to 18. According to the news article, this corresponds to a $700 fine per tree. The borough’s prosecutor has stated that Haber may face extra costs reaching $1 million, including planting replacement trees. A restitution hearing is set for April 19th to determine the final amount.
Last June, the trees’ situation received considerable attention after a user named @SamAsIAm made a thread on X detailing the incident
Ronald Fallas, Haber’s co-defendant who cut down the tree(s), pleaded guilty, confessing he incorrectly depended on Haber to secure authorization and licenses. Charges against another co-defendant were dropped with a warning. Samih Shinway, the neighbor whose trees were chopped, attended the hearing as well. “I’m never going to be 100% satisfied,” he stated later. “I always use the analogy that if you hire someone to put a hit out on somebody, they are just as liable as the person who did it.” Last June, the trees’ situation received considerable attention after a user named @SamAsIAm made a thread on X detailing the incident. “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,” user @SamAsIAm wrote.