A woman on the holiday island of Nantucket is taking legal action against her neighbour, alleging he trespassed onto her property and used a chainsaw to cut down 16 of her trees to enhance his view of the Atlantic Ocean. The lawsuit, filed by Patricia Belford, claims Jonathan Jacoby felled nearly 50-year-old cedar, cherry, and Leyland cypress trees, some over 30 feet tall, which had provided her with privacy and a natural buffer.
According to the complaint, Jacoby listed his home for sale for nearly $10 million just three weeks after the alleged tree cutting. The listing prominently featured the property's 'sweeping view of the Atlantic Ocean,' a detail conspicuously absent from prior listings. When questioned by the Boston Globe, Jacoby reportedly responded via email: 'I wasn't trespassing, I was clearing out her crappy trees.'
The lawsuit, filed in Nantucket Superior Court, accuses Jacoby of negligence, property damage, personal injury, and trespassing. The estimated property damage exceeds $486,000, with the cost to replace a single 30-foot Leyland cypress—excluding planting—around $22,114. Belford's legal team argues that the removal of the trees, planted by her family in the 1970s, has caused lasting harm to the character, value, and privacy of her property.
Belford has also reported the incident to the police, and the lawsuit notes an active criminal investigation by the Nantucket Police Department. Jacoby's former landscaper, Krasimir Kirilov, provided a voluntary statement to police, claiming he had no knowledge of the tree cutting. 'I was surprised to find that out,' he reportedly said.
