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Owner of solar-powered home fights neighbor's trees, gains little ground - "Right to sunlight"
Tampa Bay - St. Petersburg Times ^ | May 20, 2012 | Will Hobson

Posted on 05/20/2012 7:21:57 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife

LARGO — Last summer, Mike Zwalley put a $65,000 solar energy system on his roof. The system — a 30-gallon solar water heater and 44 black panels that convert sunlight into electricity — cut Zwalley's electric bill from $300 to $400 per month to $10 to $20.

About two months after Zwalley installed the system at his waterfront home off Indian Rocks Road, his next-door neighbor planted three cypress trees, each about 10 feet tall, along his property line.

Zwalley, a 58-year-old car salesman, was not happy. He had asked the neighbor, Wade Gibson, not to plant the trees there.

Zwalley found several websites that estimated the trees would grow to between 70 and 100 feet. At that height, they could cast shade on Zwalley's solar panels.

Gibson told Zwalley that he did not think the trees would get that big, but if they did, Gibson would take care of it, according to Zwalley.

That answer wasn't good enough for Zwalley. He called city management. He called state legislators. He called legal experts. They all gave him different forms of the same answer: In Florida, the law is not on your side.

It would be in a few other states, though.

As energy costs continue to rise, legal experts say courts should expect more battles over solar panels and a property owner's rights, or lack thereof, to sunlight.

"We're going to see more and more, and if it's on your rooftop or in your back yard, you're going to be concerned about your neighbor growing trees," said Scott Anders, director of the Energy Policy Initiatives Center in San Diego. "And growing trees is a good thing, right?"

If Zwalley lived in any of the following places,...

(Excerpt) Read more at tampabay.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Front Page News; Government
KEYWORDS: environment; green; lawyers; regulations; sucker
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1 posted on 05/20/2012 7:22:04 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

If I were Gibson, I’d have told car-salesman Zwalley, “Let me take this back to my manager; I’ll fight like hell for you!”

If the three trees in the picture are what Zwalley’s worried about he’s an idiot. Hell, he’s probably an idiot anyway....the few panels he has for $65,000?


2 posted on 05/20/2012 7:26:09 AM PDT by Gaffer
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Hey,Mr Solar Power...go bleep yourself.


3 posted on 05/20/2012 7:26:20 AM PDT by Gay State Conservative (Julia: another casualty of the "War on Poverty")
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
What a waste of money. Even if he saves $300 a month on his power bill, his break even point doesn't come for 18 years. And that assumes that he spends nothing on maintenance.
4 posted on 05/20/2012 7:28:22 AM PDT by SunTzuWu
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

This guy has a$$HOLE WRITTEN ALL OVER HIM


5 posted on 05/20/2012 7:29:09 AM PDT by Mr. K (If Romney wins the primary, I am writing-in Palin/Gingrich)
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To: SunTzuWu

I thought the same thing. At best he’ll break even in 14 years. A tremendous waste of money.


6 posted on 05/20/2012 7:31:30 AM PDT by vladimir998
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To: SunTzuWu

He should just pay the neighbor part of what he saves on electricity, instead of trying to get the government to use force on his behalf to make the neighbor comply with him.


7 posted on 05/20/2012 7:33:25 AM PDT by mvpel (Michael Pelletier)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
He had asked the neighbor, Wade Gibson, not to plant the trees there.

You don't like your neighbor planting tree's on his property?

Simple solution.....

MOVE!

8 posted on 05/20/2012 7:33:42 AM PDT by EGPWS (Trust in God, question everyone else)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
wait till the treehuggers get to him..
treehuggers vs greenieweenie.

9 posted on 05/20/2012 7:34:56 AM PDT by skinkinthegrass (WA. DC E$tabli$hment; DNC/RNC/Unionists...Brazilian saying: "$@me Old $hit; different flie$". :^)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

On his roof, wearing flip-flops.

Darwin will eventually take care of him.


10 posted on 05/20/2012 7:35:06 AM PDT by Stalwart
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Why I love Florida. If the tree hugger doesn’t like it he can GTFO. Gibson’s nicer than I would be. I’ll give anyone a fair chance but once they demonstrate they’re a whack job all bets are off.


11 posted on 05/20/2012 7:35:17 AM PDT by MtBaldy (If Obama is the answer, it must have been a really stupid question)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

I believe “Stick it where the sun don’t shine” is the proper response.


12 posted on 05/20/2012 7:36:07 AM PDT by Tijeras_Slim
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

This numbnuts reminds me of people who move close to an airport then complain about the noise.


13 posted on 05/20/2012 7:36:32 AM PDT by unixfox (Abolish Slavery, Repeal The 16th Amendment!)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

I guess some kind of tax credit makes it work for Zwalley since the best payout on this $65,000 investment is a little over 13 years.

Yeah buddy, that is the way I want to spend my money.

Better than the stock market though?


14 posted on 05/20/2012 7:37:00 AM PDT by Sequoyah101
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To: SunTzuWu

And what is the life expantency on these panels? Most of them are listed at 15-25 years, so more than likely at his “break even point” he will have to start replacing the system! What a maroon!


15 posted on 05/20/2012 7:37:09 AM PDT by ExTxMarine (PRAYER: It's the only HOPE for real CHANGE in America!)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
$65k for the system.

Saving $300-$400 a month. Lets call it $350.

$350 x 12= $4200 a year

$65,000 ÷ $4200 a year= 16 years

Not to mention interest. Lost, if he paid cash. Paid, if he financed it.

$65,000 x 6%= $3,900 = Not much in savings.

Now of course, if we are talking peace of mind of relying on the electric company, that worth can only be answered by the homeowner.

I wonder how much lawyer fees are going to cost in the end?

16 posted on 05/20/2012 7:37:39 AM PDT by mountn man (Happiness is not a destination, its a way of life.)
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To: EGPWS
An even easier solution is to plant something that harbors pests that like to eat your neighbor's trees.

Or, simply cut off any branches that extend over your lot ~ lawful everywhere in America if not in most of the world.

17 posted on 05/20/2012 7:37:46 AM PDT by muawiyah
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To: Gaffer

another case of some asshole worrying about someone else’s property.


18 posted on 05/20/2012 7:37:58 AM PDT by richardtavor
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
this dork spent 65k to save 3600-4800 a yr??? and now he is bit*hing about trees WOW
19 posted on 05/20/2012 7:37:59 AM PDT by markman46 (engage brain before using keyboard!!!)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
A frustrated environmentalist versus the environment - hehehe!
Solution: Mount the panels on tall poles.
Who cares about the cost, it's for the environment!

20 posted on 05/20/2012 7:38:48 AM PDT by BitWielder1 (Corporate Profits are better than Government Waste)
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