NBA's Kevin Garnett Sued by Malibu Neighbor Over Tree Dispute
NBA all-star Kevin Garnett has blocked more than 2,000 shots over his 19-year NBA career.
But a blocked view in his exclusive Malibu, California, neighborhood may land Garnett in some serious trouble. A neighbor is suing KG, claiming Garnett's untrimmed trees are blocking his ocean view and alleging that Garnett made illegal renovations to his home, TMZ reports.
What's the scoop on this high-dollar neighbor dispute?
Lawsuit Claims Garnett 'Scoffed' at Neighbor's Complaints
The neighbor's lawsuit claims that Kevin Garnett failed to obtain the proper permits when he renovated his $9.5 million Malibu mansion in 2013, TMZ reports. Instead, the suit claims Garnett told the city he was simply remodeling the interior of his house in order to avoid having to get permits for his planned expansion.
The lawsuit asserts that Garnett's renovations, coupled with his refusal to trim the trees on his property, has blocked the neighbor's ocean view. The neighbor claims that he approached Garnett and his wife, but that they "scoffed" and "stonewalled."
The suit seek damages, as well as a court order to remove the trees and other improvements that are blocking the neighbor's view.
View Disputes: A Legal Overview
In general, a property owner whose view is being obstructed by a neighbor's trees can turn to the local view ordinance. View ordinances usually allow a property owner to compel a neighbor to trim or remove trees and foliage that are obstructing a view, but in some cases the neighbor requesting the removal must pay, and certain types of trees may be excluded.
There are also likely to be other ordinances or local rules that may allow relief for a blocked view, such as zoning limitations or homeowner's association rules.
Absent local rules or ordinances that prohibit the offending trees, a property owner may have to prove that the neighbor deliberately blocked his or her view in order to prevail in court.
Kevin Garnett has yet to comment about the lawsuit, but once he's properly served with court documents, he'll likely have 30 days to file a response.
To find out more about the local ordinances and rules regarding view disputes in your area, talk to a local real estate lawyer.
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Related Resources:
- NBA Star Kevin Garnett Sued by Neighbor For Not Trimming His Trees (UPI)
- Top 5 Neighbor Disputes and How to Resolve Them (FindLaw's Law and Daily Life)
- Billionaire Larry Ellison Settles Tree Lawsuit (FindLaw's Law and Daily Life)
- NJ Man Cuts Down $1M in Trees for a Better View (FindLaw's Blotter)