Local Government Forces Homeowners to Cut Down Trees for John Olerud's View - Basketball Forum : Professional and College Basketball Forums

**Krstic All-Star** · 11-19-2012, 05:44 AM

Quote:

Local Government Forces Homeowners to Cut Down Trees so that Retired Baseball Star John Olerud Would Have a Better View of the Seattle Skyline from his House
Ilya Somin • November 18, 2012 10:35 pm

Retired baseball All Star John Olerud has persuaded the Clyde Hill, Washington Board of Adjustment to force his neighbors to chop down two valuable trees on their property so that he will have a better view of the Seattle skyline:

Quote:

Nine years after he won his third Gold Glove as a Seattle Mariners first baseman, John Olerud has won a victory in a different venue.

The Clyde Hill Board of Adjustment ruled Wednesday night that Olerud’s neighbor to the west must remove two trees because they unreasonably obstruct Olerud’s view of Lake Washington and the Seattle skyline.

The board’s 3-2 order is the first time the city has told a resident to cut down a tree under a 1991 “view obstruction and tree removal” ordinance...

An appraiser hired by John and Kelly Olerud said their $4 million home would be worth $255,000 more if the rare Chinese pine and the Colorado spruce across the street were cut down and replaced with smaller plants. The Chinese pine’s value is estimated at more than $18,000.

Removing the trees would widen the west-facing view from his family room by 65 percent, Olerud told the Board of Adjustment, giving his house the same amazing view of Seattle’s skyline that’s visible from nearby Northeast 20th Street....

“We love the trees, they are valuable and we don’t want to remove any of them,” Baker said. He said the Oleruds “have a fabulous property and, no matter how valuable it is, the ordinance doesn’t promise them an unobstructed view. It doesn’t entitle them to more than they paid for [when they bought their house, at which time the Bakers' trees were already there]....”

....

http://www.volokh.com/2012/11/18/loc...rom-his-house/

**Diable** · 11-19-2012, 05:47 AM

I don't see how that shit could stand up if you challenged it and I'd bet that you could find some property rights zealot who'd take the shit to the Supremes for free.

**RollWithEm** · 11-19-2012, 06:24 AM

Not unbelievable but truly disappointing.

**Bogg** · 11-19-2012, 07:22 AM

Eh, they'll play it up like it was because Olerud played for the Mariners, but I'd wager it's all about property taxes. Once those trees come down the assessment on Olerud's home probably goes up $300,000 and whatever municipality the property falls under gets a few thousand more a year. That's probably why the ordinance was enacted in the first place.

**Ron** · 11-19-2012, 10:27 AM

I paid a $100,000 premium on my $400,000 home in 1999 for an incredible view of downtown Los Angeles, only to be obstructed by trees grown years later by my wonderful HOA in parts of the community that are hillsides.

It took a lot of coaxing for them to ax just one tree. We are continuing efforts to get the other trees axed as well. The bottom line is you deserve to get what you pay for, and the HOA needs to understand that.

I don't see an issue with this, actually. If Olerud paid for the property with the trees already there, then maybe an issue. Maybe the comparison isn't a good one, I don't know.

**Bogg** · 11-19-2012, 10:38 AM

I don't necessarily agree. It's one thing if it's "common area" owned by the HOA that everyone pays into, but if I own a property and want to have some nice trees on it, then I see that as my business. If you pay extra for a view that only exists if you live next to a golf course green, I don't know that it's your neighbors' responsibility to make sure the investment was wise.

Nimreitz · 11-19-2012, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ron

I don't see an issue with this, actually. If Olerud paid for the property with the trees already there, then maybe an issue. Maybe the comparison isn't a good one, I don't know.

Article says the trees were there when Olerud moved in.

11-19-2012, 05:47 AM	#2 (permalink)
Diable Limehouse Blues Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: North Carolina Posts: 22,168 Rep Power: 14650805	Re: Local Government Forces Homeowners to Cut Down Trees for John Olerud's View I don't see how that shit could stand up if you challenged it and I'd bet that you could find some property rights zealot who'd take the shit to the Supremes for free. __________________

11-19-2012, 06:24 AM	#3 (permalink)
RollWithEm Never Argue with a Fool Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: New Orleans Posts: 28,432 Rep Power: 6041729	Re: Local Government Forces Homeowners to Cut Down Trees for John Olerud's View Not unbelievable but truly disappointing. __________________ But that's just me. RWE's Random Questions: (Close Friends, Virginity, Home-Schooling, Wiretapping, Cheating, Piracy) RWE's Movie Rankings: (Coen Brothers, Stanley Kubrick, Top 90 of the 90's) RWE's Underground Update - RWE's SciFi Corner RWE's Smash Central - RWE's Culinary Cul de Sac 2015 FRSL Champion New Orleans Jazz Lawson - Thabo - Thad - Brow - Big Al - Manu - Jayson

11-19-2012, 07:22 AM	#4 (permalink)
Bogg Moderator Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 4,617 Rep Power: 4050067	Re: Local Government Forces Homeowners to Cut Down Trees for John Olerud's View Eh, they'll play it up like it was because Olerud played for the Mariners, but I'd wager it's all about property taxes. Once those trees come down the assessment on Olerud's home probably goes up $300,000 and whatever municipality the property falls under gets a few thousand more a year. That's probably why the ordinance was enacted in the first place.

11-19-2012, 10:27 AM	#5 (permalink)
Ron Site Founder Join Date: May 2002 Location: Brea, California Posts: 14,565 Rep Power: 2734398	Re: Local Government Forces Homeowners to Cut Down Trees for John Olerud's View I paid a $100,000 premium on my $400,000 home in 1999 for an incredible view of downtown Los Angeles, only to be obstructed by trees grown years later by my wonderful HOA in parts of the community that are hillsides. It took a lot of coaxing for them to ax just one tree. We are continuing efforts to get the other trees axed as well. The bottom line is you deserve to get what you pay for, and the HOA needs to understand that. I don't see an issue with this, actually. If Olerud paid for the property with the trees already there, then maybe an issue. Maybe the comparison isn't a good one, I don't know. __________________

11-19-2012, 10:38 AM	#6 (permalink)
Bogg Moderator Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 4,617 Rep Power: 4050067	Re: Local Government Forces Homeowners to Cut Down Trees for John Olerud's View I don't necessarily agree. It's one thing if it's "common area" owned by the HOA that everyone pays into, but if I own a property and want to have some nice trees on it, then I see that as my business. If you pay extra for a view that only exists if you live next to a golf course green, I don't know that it's your neighbors' responsibility to make sure the investment was wise. Last edited by Bogg; 11-19-2012 at 12:42 PM.

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