NJ homeowner cut down 32 of neighbor's trees and may pay $1.5M

Publish date: 2024-08-19

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This conifer clash cuts deep.

A New Jersey homeowner chopped down 32 of his neighbor’s trees along a hillside in a tiny town to get better Manhattan skyline views — and he could now be forced to pay more than $1.5 million in fines and replacement fees, according to officials and the furious neighbor.

“It breaks my heart. It angers me. These trees take a very long time to grow,” said Samih Shinway, 40, of Kinnelon, who said a quarter acre of his oaks, birches and maples were slashed.

His neighbor, munitions expert Grant Haber, was hit with an initial fine of $32,000 — $1,000 per axed tree — after clearing part of the leafy, 7-acre property in March, borough forester John Linson told northjersey.com Tuesday.

A town ordinance also requires anyone who illegally removes a tree in Kinnelon to replace it with “another of like or superior species.”

The root of the problem is that restoring the toppled trees will require building a roadway to the site and watering the new ones for two years  — a massive undertaking estimated to cost $1.5 million, Shinway said.

Haber will also have to factor in the price of adding soil, removing invasive species and clean-up, Shinway said.

32 of Samih Shinway’s were cleared by his neighbor to see a better view of the NYC skyline. New York Post

Haber, the CEO of an antiterrorism company, could not be reached for comment Wednesday. His company, American Innovations, offers tools to detect improvised explosive devices on the battlefield.

Along with coughing up the green, the sapling slasher faces at least 32 counts of illegal tree removal and one trespassing charge, Kinnelon prosecutor Kim Kassar told The Post.

Shinway’s Kinnelon neighbor, Grant Haber, faces at least 32 counts of illegal tree removal and one trespassing charge.

The fir-centric fight began in early March when Shinway said he caught workers in the act of cutting down the beloved trees on his estate, which sits roughly 35 miles west of New York City.

“I heard multiple chainsaws in the distance,”Shinway said — adding that he hopped on a four-wheeler and drove over to investigate.  

He found a graveyard of chainsaw-sliced conifers, ranging in age from 20 to 150 years old.

“It breaks my heart. It angers me. These trees take a very long time to grow,” said Shinway. James Keivom

“I saw a landscape truck, a dump truck-style truck, with a big, large shredder, and four landscape contractors on my property,” he said. “They said…‘The owner wanted a view of the city and the mountain range.’”

The tree cutters had climbed a fence clearly marking his property line, which sits at the bottom of  Haber’s more elevated compound, he said.

Shinway, a forest lover who helps out with the state’s Woodland Management Program, quickly called the police, who told the workers to “cease and desist,” he said.

This photo shows Grant Haber’s home and view before he had Shinway’s trees destroyed. Coldwell Banker

“I really care about [the woods]. That’s why I got so mad,” he said — insisting more than 32 trees were actually chopped on his land.

“To cut 40 trees and leave them to waste for no reason, that’s insane,” he fumed.“I just want everything replaced.”

Shinway is a forest lover who helps out with New Jersey’s Woodland Management Program. James Keivom

The neighborly clash went viral earlier this week when a friend of Linson, Sam Glickman, tweeted about the cost of replacing the trees.

“[The] guy probably thought he was going to just pay a $32K fine. But…there’s a provision requiring the replanting of like trees “of the same size,” Glickman wrote in the post, which had raked in more than 3.8 million views by Wednesday.

Haber could be forced to pay more than $1.5 million in fines and replacement fees, according to officials. James Keivom

Two contractors hired by Haber to do the tree chopping may also be fined an additional $400,000, he said.

Glickman’s tweet drew so many people to a court hearing against Haber via Zoom Tuesday evening that it reached its 100-person capacity, and the town prosecutor was initially unable to log on.

The Kinnelon municipal court hearing was ultimately postponed when defense attorney Matthew Meuller said he needed more time to review discovery in the case. It was rescheduled for July 18.

The removed trees ranged in age from 20 to 150 years old. New York Post

Linson declined to comment to northjersey.com on a total estimate for what Haber could end up owing, other than to say Glickman’s figure was “slightly exaggerated.”

“I am only able to state that 32 trees were removed without a permit,” Linson said.

The contractors hired by Shinway’s neighbor to do the chopping may also be fined an additional $400,000. James Keivom

Municipal officials haven’t confirmed a total pricetag for conifer cutting.

Kinnelon town prosecutor Kim  Kassar declined to comment to The Post, citing an “active criminal prosecution.”

Haber’s sprawling abode at 72 Denise Dr. boasts an in-ground pool and is valued at $1.75 million. 

Shinway’s next door residence at  62 Denise Drive, has five bedrooms with an estimated value of $1 million.

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