City to seek damages after restaurant cuts down trees (Houston: 2014, rent)

[Jack Lance]

Houston officials say they will pursue those responsible for illegally removing six street trees in the early morning hours Wednesday along a property at Kirby Drive and North Boulevard, the latest in a string of city attempts to drive home the message that cutting down trees on public rights of way is no different than destroying any other public property.

City to seek damages after restaurant cuts down trees - Houston Chronicle

Some idiot at Wendy's decides that these trees that were planted decades ago and are valued at $50K each got in the way of the view of his "restaurants" drive through. The fact that these trees were removed early in the morning tells me they knew this was an illegal act . I think triple damages are in order that's 6 trees at 150K each, that should get the message through that trees on city right of way are public property! Hands off! What do you think about this? What would you propose as a remedy for this?

[Meyerland]

I can't read the article.

Why would they cut down trees that are not on their property? When did trees ever cause a business to lose money? This is ridiculous and they deserve to be fined.

I think they should raise the fine and start enforcing it. Nothing talks quite like losing money.

[txdemo]

Originally Posted by Jack Lance

What would you propose as a remedy for this?

Free colonoscopies to all their customers.

Here's another article on it:
City Reportedly Planning Legal Action Against Kirby Dr. Wendy’s Late-Night Tree Whackers | Swamplot

[Jack Lance]

Originally Posted by txdemo

Free colonoscopies to all their customers.

Here's another article on it:
City Reportedly Planning Legal Action Against Kirby Dr. Wendy’s Late-Night Tree Whackers | Swamplot

"Late-Night Tree Whackers" LOL I love it !

[trill OG 713]

slap him with a nasty fine

[Jack Lance]

Originally Posted by Meyerland

I can't read the article.

Why would they cut down trees that are not on their property? When did trees ever cause a business to lose money? This is ridiculous and they deserve to be fined.

I think they should raise the fine and start enforcing it. Nothing talks quite like losing money.

This is from the article'

"Ali Dhanani of Austin-based Haza Foods LLC, which owns the Wendy's, said the trees were removed because their roots were tearing up the pavement on the property. The renovated restaurant will get new landscaping and new "indigenous" trees when it reopens in late November, he said.
"If we've made a mistake in this process, we apologize," he wrote in an email to the Houston Chronicle. "It was done in good faith, and our intent is to create a restaurant that our customers will enjoy and the neighborhood will be proud of."
Ward called Dhanani's response "absurd."
"It's absurd horticulturally, it's absurd from a knowledge standpoint in terms of calling it a mistake; that's obviously a euphemism for, 'I tried to do it in the dark to get away with it and I got caught,' " Ward said. "He's going to find out, I suspect, quite clearly how the city and how the general public, from whom he took those trees, how they value them."

City to seek damages after restaurant cuts down trees - Houston Chronicle

[texas7]

Yes Ali, of course people would rather be able to see the drive thru and brick of a fast food place instead of huge trees. Inconsiderate to say the least. Fine for you and hopefully one that hurts.

[Meyerland]

Now that I see the trees in the before pics on swamplot it makes me angry. Those were some really nice trees, and there was no reason to cut them down.

[cheryjohns]

The fine PLUS the cost of a reputable tree company to replace them with as large as possible that can be safely planted (I think once you get to a certain size, the tree won't be successfully planted).

[crone]

What I don't get is the mind set that says trees are less important than sidewalks. That whole story about sidewalks is BS.

I'd bet the rent money that had a call been made, the problem with the sidewalk explained, the city and/or the neighborhood and customers would have gladly kicked in to replace the sidewalks. Trees for Houston certainly would have.

They could have root pruned, or put down a root barrier. This neighborhood we are in planted 2 or 3 live oaks on each tiny lot. At about age 25, there will be sidewalk, driveway and foundation stories from every homeowner. We are putting down root barriers. They could have,too.