A homeowner has been fined for having 32 trees cut down from his neighbor’s property in New Jersey without a permit, a violation that could cost him at least $32,000 – and has already gone viral on social media.
John Linson, the borough forester in Kinnelon, New Jersey, which is located about 30 miles west of New York City, confirmed via an email Tuesday that he had issued the fines. Grant Haber, the Denise Drive property owner who allegedly ordered the work done, could face penalties of up to $1,000 per tree, Linson said.
Linson declined to comment on a Twitter thread posted Monday that suggested the cost of undoing the damage could be much greater. The thread by account holder Sam Glickman, who identified himself as a friend of Linson’s, said an estimate for replanting the trees totaled up to $1.5 million and that additional penalties could reach $400,000 because the borough is also fining two contractors hired by Haber to do the tree cutting.
Glickman, responding to queries from NorthJersey.com, part of the USA TODAY network, referred questions to Linson, who would not comment on the estimate other than to say it was “slightly exaggerated.”
“I am only able to state that 32 trees were removed without a permit,” Linson said.
Haber was scheduled to attend a preliminary hearing in Kinnelon municipal court on Tuesday via Zoom, but defense attorney Matthew Meuller said he needed more time to review discovery in the case, so the session was rescheduled to July 18.
The Zoom call was open to the public and reached capacity due to the widely shared Twitter thread, which has been viewed almost 3 million times. The call’s maximum limit was 100 people, but an additional 100 people were in the digital waiting room as the hearing was set to begin.
Efforts to reach Haber and Meuller on Tuesday by NorthJersey.com were not immediately successful.
