Man Is Fined For Illegal Tree-Trim

Dana Point, Calif. resident Arthur Warren is paying $175,000 for his decision to top these city-owned pines to improve his home's view.

Dana Point, Calif. resident Arthur Warren will pay $175,000 to settle a lawsuit alleging that Warren hired a crew to chop the tops off seven city-owned pine trees to improve his ocean view.

The settlement was approved by the Dana Point City Council in early May. Warren, 75, also wrote a letter of apology. The agreement was reached through mediation that began in January, said Madison Spach, Warren's attorney.

The city files a lawsuit in July against Warren. It alleges illegal landscaping destroyed the trees, which an arborist estimated were worth about $50,000 each.

Warren had asked the city to top the trees, according to the suit. But the city told him that doing so was against proper trimming procedures and could damage the trees.

Of the settlement, $110,000 will be used to replace the damaged pines, which have not yet been removed from the park, said Mayor Wayne Rayfield. The city has not determined what type of tree will be planted, Rayfield said.

--The Orange County Register
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