Posted on 02/04/2015 8:42:37 AM PST by dennisw
Sued for $10m over tree that is 'destroying' neighboring Manhattan brownstone owned by Marisa Tomei’s parents
Gary and Addie Tomei, the parents of Oscar winner Marisa Tomei, are suing their neighbor over a tree in his yard whose roots are destroying their home The neighbor is Sean Lennon, son of John Lennon, who purchased the home on West 13th Street in Greenwich Village six years ago for $9.5million
The Tomeis say they contacted Lennon a year ago about removing the tree, and that he never responded, so they are suing for $10million They claim the roots of the 60-foot-high ailanthus tree have destroyed their home as it warped their foundation and compromised basement walls The Tomeis previously had to move out of their home early last year after a pipe burst in Lennon's home, forcing them to move in with their daughter They purchased the brownstone in 1994, and rent out a duplex for $9,000 a month in the residence
The parents of Oscar winner Marisa Tomei have filed a lawsuit against the son of famed musician John Lennon.
Gary and Addie Tomei are suing Sean Lennon claiming in the six years since he purchased the property next to them, both located on West 13th Street in New York City's Greenwich Village, he has refused to cut down a tree in his front yard whose roots are now destroying the Tomei home, this despite numerous requests from the couple.
As for damages, the couple are asking for $10million - and that the tree be removed.
According to court documents obtained by the New York Daily News, the Tomeis are claiming the 60-foot-high ailanthus tree which grows in Lennon's front yard has 'compromised the basement wall and interior ... (causing) irreparable damage to the structural integrity of the building.'
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Some trees love to be cut down to the roots.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coppicing
Yeah....I found that out. But I’ll tell you that Black Maxx and a gallon of Roundup killed it right there - everywhere in the roots.
Hey! That crystal is curing who-knows-how-many diseases before they ever manifest themselves.
“Why doesn’t he just buy their house for $10,000,000?”
Haven’t you heard him say? He’s sitting on the doorstep of the house he can’t afford.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Itq1L202rMg
Makes you wonder what must go on in that confused little mind.
Had one in our yard as a kid. Had to get rid of it. More huge smelly weed than tree.
There is a chink in that crystal..
From the pictures I’ve seen of them, it’s a very fast growing tree-weed. My personal like of a tree with those kinds of leaves reminds me of scrub weeds in the wild that have been unfettered for too long. Sorta like Heinz 57 entitlement weeds.
You are right; ailanthus are terribly destsructive. They can double their height (and root system) every year for the first several years, and even cutting them down doesn’t get rid of them if there is the tiniest live root still left in the ground. The seeds fly around in cities and take root in the smallest opportunities, like a crack in a pavement or even in crumbling mortar in the side of a brick building. The one on Lennon’s property was probably from a windborne seed, not a conscious planting, and could have attained that height in just a few years, making his disdain for his neighbors’ home damage all the more aggravating.
Most cities that have unattended properties will then have ailanthus (stinkweed) growing up out of window wells through gratings, on the roof out of a pile of decayed leaves blown into a corner near the chimney, and even from the inside of abandoned buildings poking out the windows. They crack foundations and pavements all around, unless property owners are vigilant and aggressive in getting rid of them, which isn’t easy. One tree can produce hundreds of others in no time at all. If you let one take hold on a plot of land, it will soon fill the entire plot and start invading others nearby. Most east coast cities have swaths of them along any recently dug but relatively unattended ground, like the edges of freeways, and have had their old stock of chestnuts, pines and sycamores choked out by ailanthus in run down neighborhoods.
The solution you mentioned (cut down the main trunk, drill holes in the stump and fill the holes with Roundup or gasoline) is the only thing I’ve ever heard of that will kill one.
That won't get rid of the ailanthus root system, which will keep on growing and invading, breaking foundations and underground pipes.
And the police would get no sandwiches.
Unfortunetly, sometimes you have to sue to force action. If his tree is indeed damaging their property and he is not doing anything about it. They may not have any other options.
When I had my own landscaping company we repaired a yard after they had a huge old Willow tree removed. The tree was 75’ from the back of the house. The roots from the tree grew into and plugged up the foundation drain tile all around the houses footings. They had to dig up and replace all the pipe around the circumference of the house 7’ deep.
We came in just to repair the yard after all the heavy equipment left and the tree was gone. I learned a valuable lesson: never plant a Willow tree within 200’ feet of your house.
I agree. I’ve seen one or two shows on TV about extremely aggressive root growth. Not worth $10 Million, but sometimes you have to get their (owners) attention.
Did she have a sister named Smi Ling?
Like I did with your post.
;^}
“Wouldn’t it just be cheaper and easier and take less time to rent a backhoe and rip up the yard and remove the roots from their property?”
That’s kind of tough if the roots are under the house.
Any non-food plant that grows taller than your height in a season is a fricking weed. Do whatever you can, as early as you can to kill it. If that fails, nuke it from orbit - it’s the only way to be sure.
Coppicing is an ancient method of forestry management. It’s not supposed to kill the roots.
“You are right; ailanthus are terribly destsructive. They can double their height (and root system) every year for the first several years, and even cutting them down doesn’t get rid of them if there is the tiniest live root still left in the ground.”
But when you cut them down, they burn great!
Once the roots enter the Tomei’s property, aren’t they free to cut those roots? It looks like a mater of simple maintenance to me but, among the privileged elites nothing is simple, I suppose.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.