What was the original penalty, it wasn’t $50,000, the story is a valid story but the headline and writing is about half clickbait and stirring passions instead of reporting news to those of us who are just looking for news information.
I found some other articles. Every one said $50,000.
e city’s stance on the severity of the damage shifted following an administrative hearing. A senior inspector determined the trees might recover, though with compromised structures. The city also offered to reduce the fine to $12,950, or $2,590 per tree.
On Wednesday, Public Works confirmed it would further reduce the penalty to $6,475, provided Dennes hired a certified arborist to oversee a five-year recovery plan for the trees.
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Found one that someone had a $4,500 fine for over pruning two trees.
Tell the SF Public Works Director: Don’t punish Ambrosia Bakery with a $4,500 fine
I believe the original fine was $50k, which the city then lowered after it removed the trees:
“The trimming ultimately forced five trees to be removed, the city said, resulting in a fine of $10,000 each.”
And:
“We will cut the reduced fine in half, to $6,475, if the property owner follows through with a pruning plan, requiring that the property owner brings in a certified arborist to properly prune the impacted trees over the next five years,”
Obviously $6,475 is not 1/2 of $10k - but that’s the way math is done in San Francisco.