Comments

1
Is “consequences” the word you’ve never heard before?
3
Hm, this doesn't seem like very much money. $360,000 / 9 = $40,000 per person. I wouldn't be shocked if the view-enhancing crime increased these folk's home values by more than that (granted some of these folks are married so presumably only 6 or so houses are involved, so maybe we're talking $60,000). Meanwhile, I'd think the lawsuit and restoration will cost the city more than $1 million. These folks got off pretty good.
4
They broke the law, they obviously broke the law. Sometimes the city needs to just take these people all the way to the end and not settle. Regardless of the cost. It is sometimes about principle, right?

5
Should have just cut down their houses.
6
" 'I expect these clear consequences will make someone think twice before considering arboricide in the future,' Herbold, who represents West Seattle, said in a statement."

Certainly, from now on, everyone going to stop, think twice by double checking the numbers to make sure it will still pay off to commit arboricide. Based on this example, after thinking twice, they'll probably go ahead and do the deed.
7
Here's a pitch for one of the new Stranger writers - locate the addresses of each person who settled, consult a real estate assessor, and figure out how much you could expect their home values to increase by, with a view of downtown Seattle. This story, while small in the grand scheme of things, pisses me off because they basically got away with hit.
8
Yeah, it increased their property values -- till the new trees, for which they (should have) paid full retail, plus installation, grow up. Perhaps the notoriety may increase their values. Or, perhaps we'll just get yet another real estate crash.

9
"According to the city’s lawsuit, the felled trees were in an environmentally critical area and helped prevent landslides." Speaking of slides, and not assigning blame here (that's for the proper Authorities to do) these hapless scofflaws better hope (and maybe pray) we don't have another very wet spring.

10
The Poor get fines they can't afford and subsequently become subjected to inescapable poverty and the rich settle lawsuits for amounts less than the increase, that the crime provided, to the value of their homes. Let's go plant some tree's! I'll bring the shovel.
11
The poor get fines they can't afford and subsequently become subjected to inescapable poverty. The rich settle lawsuits for amounts less than the profit of their crime. Let's go dig up some yards. #Seattlefreezethismotherfucker
12
A more just punishment: paint all their view windows black. Assholes with a bit of money will always find a way to get what they want disregarding everything else.
13
Jail time.
14
I think Seattle should make the newly cleared area a giant homeless encampment and relocate/close all the current ones.
15
The city should put up billboards advertising Deja Vu Showgirls in front of their windows until the trees grow back.
16
This is petty and awful of me but wouldn't it be GREAT if there were SLIDES that threatened these murderers' homes? Now I'd get the popcorn out to watch that news coverage. Live coverage of homes sliding down the pillaged slopes. Excellent.
17
This thread went from zero to vindictive mob in just 16 comments!
18
Those were POS trees - Alders and Big Leafs. Look at them; they're trash trees. They shouldn't have been allowed to infest that slope in the 1st place.

Hopefully, the City will replant THOUGHTFULLY. Hire a Landscape Architect. Turn it into an amenity, instead of our usual bramble-and-ivy Greenbelt rat habitat.
19
If Google Maps is correct (3200 block of 35th Ave. SW), it looked better with the trees. How did they get caught?

Also, West Seattle Blog mentions:
"City Attorney Holmes and his team for securing this $360,000 settlement, in addition to the $440,000 settlement from last spring..."
20
The only thing missing is Penny Singleton, a boys choir and a Great Dane.
https://youtu.be/_-JXa0z-Bus
22
@21:

Sure, just as soon as we exterminate every other life form around here that leaves their feces wherever they want...

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