Nantucket Neighbor Cuts Trees for Ocean View, Faces Major Lawsuit

How far would you go to improve your view of the ocean? A guy on Nantucket reportedly wanted an ocean view so badly that he allegedly cut down a stand of 50-year-old trees in his neighbor's yard to make it possible.

To quote the former U.S. President Joe Biden, "You think I'm kidding, it's not a joke, man."

It's not, I read all about it in the Nantucket Current.

The $1.4 Million Dispute Over Trees

According to the Current, "A Nantucket homeowner is suing their neighbor, seeking over $1.4 million in damages, and accusing them of trespassing into their yard earlier this year and cutting down a stand of 50-year-old trees in order to create an ocean view for themselves from the abutting property."

What a cluster!

The lawsuit claims that defendant Jonathan Jacoby "entered the Plaintiff's property without permission and cut down a significant number of mature trees," and that he did so "with full knowledge that he lacked any legal right to do so."

The suit, filed by Patricia R. Belford, as Trustee of the Belford Family Trust, claims the removal of the trees "was not only a violation of the Plaintiff's property rights, but also caused lasting damage to the character, value, and privacy of the property."

Did He Really Do It for the View?

As reported by the Current, "The alleged perpetrator subsequently listed their property for sale for nearly $10 million while touting its 'sweeping ocean views.'"

The Nantucket Police Department has investigated the incident.

Property Rights and Privacy at Stake

The Belford Family Trust said it seeks to "hold the Defendant accountable for trespass, conversion, and violation of the Massachusetts tree-cutting statute."