Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire new york village fines man $22K for cutting down his own tree

A Long Island man is being fined more than $20,000 for chopping down trees in his own yard.

He says the trees were a danger to his family and property, but officials in his village disagree saying he didn’t go through proper channels and now he has to pay up, reports CBS2’s Elise Finch.

Pericles Linardos has called his Nassau County wooded property in the Village of Muttontown home since he was 12 years old.

He says Superstorm Sandy cracked and split dozens of trees on his property, included several in his front yard that have since been replaced by bushes.

One tree was toppled and damaged six others on its way down, so two months after it happened, he had all seven of them removed.

Linardos says the tree experts he consulted said it was necessary to make his property safer.

That’s when the conflict began, as did the fines.

Muttontown Village Attorney Steven Leventhal says cutting down a tree in this northshore community is like polluting beaches on the South Shore.

The village code regulates the removal of trees with a diameter of 7 inches or more, and a permit is required for removal unless it’s an emergency.

“We got a phone call,” said Leventhal. “Our arborist went out saw the trees already down. He said they were healthy.”

The law calls for a removal fine of $250 per tree-inch measured across the diameter.

In this case that adds up to $22,500, and if Linardos doesn’t pay, he faces 15 days in jail.

The two sides have been battling this out in court for the past five years.

The village attorney says Linardos isn’t the only homeowner to violate the tree removal law and be charged hefty fines – he’s just the only one who refuses to pay.

Linardos is adamant he’d rather go to jail than pay unfair fines.

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how people live in these places is beyond my understanding. If I live in a town that has it own arborist who is consulting on whether I can cut down a tree or not, there will be house for sale sign in my yard.

Fu ck em.

Haven’t we had a few killed in NY State by falling trees in recent years? I wouldn’t want to live anywhere near those type of rules.

Commies love to control each and every aspect of your life. It's what they do.

Long Island = New York City....... That explains it.

Ah, the local tree Taliban...

I'd take the 15 days. $1500/day isn't bad wages.

Inlaws had to go to the 'Shade Committee' before they could remove a damaged tree oak in their yard. They live in PA and they will continue to vote democrat all the time bitching about regulations.

Never not funny

New York is in need of radical ballistic surgery.

I don't think that wipes out the fines. I believe they will still go after him for the money. The 15 days is the muscle to make him pay up. They want that money. It's for the children.

So the village wants to assume liability for every tree over 7"? Thinking they are not thinking that one through.

Their children maybe or maybe they're the children, just not human ones.

No. Not liability, just control. You know better than that.

I understand control, but with control comes liability. Making something difficult or expensive just makes the liability issue more obvious.

the folks down in atlanta proper regulate the removal of trees like there's no tommorrow. plenty pricey if the rules & regs aren't followed to a T.

maintaining trees in a city environment is not a cheap, low-cost enterprise any longer.

but, they're interested in shade coverage, something about the global warming scare that infects some people.

"Muttontown Village Attorney Steven Leventhal"

Enough said.

Yep, trees belong to everyone . I wonder if they screamed when they were cut down by that bad man?

Leventhal...yep. Enough said.

Governments are all for taking control but not responsibility. If that man's tree falls and puts a hole in his roof, he better have insurance for that, because the city will not pay for it. Cities can mandate sidewalks but if someone falls on one and breaks their leg, it's the homeowner who gets sued, not the city who often have clauses that specifically deny liability for those things they mandate or control. You better have a great lawyer and lots of money to beat city hall and most times you won't even if you try.

KFWA: FFS!
This is simply more proof that liberalism is a mental disease.
Sheesh.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy