A New Jersey CEO who cut down 32 of his neighbor’s trees so he could improve his view of New York City from his mansion had his fines cut in half but still faces a bill that could cost him $1 million.
Grant Haber cut a plea deal for violating local legislation in the town of Kinnelon, New Jersey, that requires a permit to be acquired before removing trees after he was alleged to have hired individuals to cut down 32 mature trees on his neighbor Samih Shinway’s property.
He initially faced up to $32,000 in fines but the deal chopped those down to about $13,194.
However, Haber may not be done paying for it, as the borough’s prosecutor believes he may have to foot the bill for replacing and caring for the downed trees to the tune of over $1 million.
‘We’re certainly dealing with substantial penalties,’ Kim Kassar said in October.
A New Jersey man who cut down 32 of his neighbor’s trees so he could improve his view of New York City from his mansion had his fines cut in half but faces a bill that could cost him $1 million
‘But those pale in comparison to the potential restitution claims, which are approaching or may exceed seven figures.’
Haber, a security executive for an anti-terrorism company, could use the $1.8 million he sold the Kinnelon home for – after buying the property for $1.3 million in 2014 – in November 2023, just months after the allegations.
Shinway, for his part, says that he’s never going to be ‘100 percent satisfied’ with the sanctions.
‘I always use the analogy that if you hire someone to put a hit out on somebody, they are just as liable as the person who did it,’ Shinway told The Record.
When asked if he planned to sue Haber, he only said: ‘I can’t answer that question right now.’
Haber told the court he would pay the fine of $13,000 within the next 30 days and now faces restitution hearings at the county level. The next hearing is set for April 19.
Pictures taken at the property last July show the extensive mess left by those hired to perform the work.
Speaking to DailyMail.com, Shinway said he arrived home one day to a team of men working on removing the trees from his property.
Grant Haber, pictured here, is said to have violated local laws that require a permit for the removal of trees
Pictures taken at the property show the extensive mess left by those hired to take out the work
Samih Shinway, pictured here, said he arrived home one day to a team of men working on removing the trees from his property
A private property sign is clearly seen attached to a tree were Haber is said to have paid the men to chop them down
He said: ‘When I came home on February 27th I heard chainsaws and I drove my 4-wheeler to see where the noise was coming from.
‘I saw a tree shredder and four men on my property and they were on my cousin’s property too.
‘Haber tried to act like it was a big mix up. The workers right away blamed him & he denied everything and told them all to leave.
‘Haber came out and said ‘isn’t this a disaster? Who would do this?’. Ever since he cut the trees down there’s been lots of crows and Soil erosion.
‘When I was outback with the forester he let his two dogs out and they were harassing us.
‘He was yelling for the dogs from 50 feet away but wouldn’t actually come get them.
‘The fine is 32 grand but the estimates in damage are around $1.9 million.
‘A letter was dropped in our mailbox that was typed and unsigned saying he’s not a bad neighbor and he moved here because he loves nature. Otherwise he’s had nothing to say.’
A large section of the woodland has been completely felled, opening up a section of the forest.
Shinway estimates that the total damage to the area actually totals over $1.9 million
Pictures taken at the property show the extensive mess left by those hired to take out the work
Haber, pictured here on the left, is said to have hired a team of workers to take away the trees
Haber, pictured here on One American News, is the founder of American Innovations, a New York based company that works in munitions
The property of Haber can be easily seen from Shinway’s property in this picture
In total, Haber was fined for chopping down 32 trees on the property totaling $32,000
Haber is expected to appear in court later next month in connection with the incident
John Linson, the borough forester in Kinnelon, New Jersey, told the Courier Journal that he had issued Haber with fines for his alleged actions.
Linson told the news site: ‘I am only able to state that 32 trees were removed without a permit.’
Their home comes complete with a lot stretching to just under seven acres and has an outdoor swimming pool with a waterfall, as well as a gym and games room.
Haber is the founder of American Innovations, a New York based company that works in munitions and revolutionized a IED (improvised explosive device) detection kit.