Man to pay $50,000 fine killing trees at Lake Tahoe

AP via Las Vegas Sun ^ | April 27, 2006

[LibWhacker]

Reading through that site just now, I noticed they mentioned something called a "hypo-hatchet," which automatically injects a small amount of herbicide each time you strike the tree. You could kill a lot of trees fast with that baby! :-)

The hypo-hatchet

[It's me]

"We would prefer that everyone understand the fragile ecosystem at Lake Tahoe so that harmful acts for the exclusive enjoyment of individuals do not destroy the resource that can be enjoyed by all."

Samuel Clemmons, better known as Mark Twain, was visiting his brother near Lake Tahoe. Mr. Clemmons made a campfire which later turned into a raging forest fire and burned down all the trees around Lake Tahoe.

Just thought I'd pass on that bit of info...

[toddlintown]

Tree mugger.

[toddlintown]

"Well, at least killing babies and brain-damaged women is still legal."

The irony.

[bpjam]

Well, then I no longer care. If rich liberal Californians want to destroy their own state, there are already plenty of bureaucracy to deal with them.

[Trust but Verify]

I never thought I'd live to see fine killing trees.

[bpjam]

When you buy the land, you buy it with the restrictions whether Federal or local already intact. You don't necessarily get to do whatever you want just because you own it. And those type of restrictions are legally requires to be presented to you in advance of your purchase and you have to sign off on those before you can buy property from a builder or a private individual. So, basically, the guy already knew it was either wrong or illegal and he was trying to find a sneaky way to improve his property instead of paying more for a similar property which had a clearer view of the lake.

[stuartcr]

Odd, because you said...'OJ wasn't found not guilty. He was found guilty, famous, and black.'

[freedumb2003]

one must marvel at the fact that this guy paid $50K for killing a couple of trees and OJ paid $0 for killing a couple of people.

You can ask people to move out of the way if they block your view.

[JDoutrider]

Psssst! Ping! Over here!

[The_Victor]

When you buy the land, you buy it with the restrictions whether Federal or local already intact. You don't necessarily get to do whatever you want just because you own it. And those type of restrictions are legally requires to be presented to you in advance of your purchase and you have to sign off on those before you can buy property from a builder or a private individual. So, basically, the guy already knew it was either wrong or illegal and he was trying to find a sneaky way to improve his property instead of paying more for a similar property which had a clearer view of the lake.

It's the Home Owners Association argument, used by many government and pseudo government entities to justify taking away aspects of private property ownership under the guise of the "greater good." I won't disagree that this is the reality of modern America, but the fact that it is legal, does not make it right.

[festus]

Well 50k is 50k but its a 2.4 million property so I'm guessing he's bummed about the 50k but glad the trees are gone ;-)

[fanfan]

Having the right tool for a job, is half the job.

[JDoutrider]

He's lucky TRPA didn't get involved in this...

He'd be facing felony charges...

[stephenjohnbanker]

Thanks

[bpjam]

You don't have to like this kind of restrictions but then you also don't have to buy something in a community where they exist. I'm as libertarian as the next guy on property rights. I am totally and completely opposed to the SCOTUS bizarre expansion of Eminent Domain.

But Homeowners Associations are completely voluntary. And places like Lake Tahoe have a very valuable asset there in the lake itself. Protecting the lake and the forests which surround it affect the property values of everybody in the area. One A-hole decides to build a boathouse and amusement park and it affects everybody. Now if the same A-hole determined during his due diligence period that he was able to build a boathouse and amusement park on this land then everybody else can basically sit on it and spin. But I'll bet my wealth and yours that this guy didn't do that - thus he had to poison the trees to try to come up a reason to violate the law and cut down trees to improve his property which was priced accordingly because it had an obstructed view of the Lake.

Hostility towards HOAs is misplaced. If you don't an HOA or any kind of deed restriction, then move to an area where people aren't developing the neighborhood for you. HOA's are a very valuable asset when used correctly and for every horror story you might have I can show you 10,000 people who have made tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars in extra value because of them.

[William Tell]

bpjam said: "But Homeowners Associations are completely voluntary. "

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency is in no way a voluntary association of homeowners. It is the government. It was instituted by those who were there first to deprive other landowners of their rights in order to enhance the value of their own properties.

These people bought a lot, built a house, and then voted themselves the right to restrict the building of homes on other people's lots. If they wanted to own a pristine lake environment, then they should have had to buy the entire lake environment.

[traviskicks]

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