Latest news with #PatriciaBelford
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
Nantucket tree-cutting neighbor row hit with criminal charges
A fight over a Nantucket neighbor's tree cutting has ramped up as a property owner has been hit with criminal charges after he took drastic measures to improve the view from his property. Jonathan Jacoby, 55, was charged Thursday in Nantucket District Court with felony vandalism, trespassing, and destroying trees on another's land - a set of charges that could land him up to three years in state prison. The charges came after he allegedly removed over 16 trees belonging to longtime homeowners Patricia and Richard Belford, as reported by the Boston Globe. The property feud erupted on the wealthy Massachusetts island after Jacoby allegedly chopped down 50-year-old trees to carve out an 'ocean view' for himself. When the trees were slashed, Matt Erisman, the property manager of Belford's $4.2 million home, notified the Nantucket Police Department (NPD), prompting an investigation. 'It was just a disgusting scene,' Erisman, 40, told the outlet. 'Even outside of my professional work, I've never seen a neighbor act like that and just deceive their neighbor like he did.' Belford herself does not live at the property, located at 1 Tautemo Way, but in an assisted living facility, according to the Nantucket Current. Jacoby's former landscaper, Krasimir Kirilov, voluntarily told investigators Jacoby was responsible. Belford, who is suing on behalf of her family's trust, claimed losing the trees has caused emotional distress In a police statement submitted as lawsuit evidence, Kirilov said Jacoby reached out to him for help cleaning up landscaping work he was going to do on his own. Once he realized the work was not on Jacoby's property, Kirilov refused the offer. 'The NPD concluded that Jacoby entered the property knowingly and willfully and cut the trees for his own personal benefit,' the lawsuit reads about the ongoing investigation. Nantucket Police Lieutenant Angus MacVicar told the Nantucket Current there are pending charges against Jacoby. Belford argued the trees added not only privacy, but value to her home - with a nursey estimating they each could cost thousands of dollars.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
Fight over Nantucket neighbor's tree cutting ramps up as 'selfish' man is slapped with criminal charges
A fight over a Nantucket neighbor's tree cutting has ramped up as a property owner has been hit with criminal charges after he took drastic measures to improve the view from his property. Jonathan Jacoby, 55, was charged Thursday in Nantucket District Court with felony vandalism, trespassing, and destroying trees on another's land - a set of charges that could land him up to three years in state prison. The charges came after he allegedly removed over 16 trees belonging to longtime homeowners Patricia and Richard Belford, as reported by the Boston Globe. The property feud erupted on the wealthy Massachusetts island after Jacoby allegedly chopped down 50-year-old trees to carve out an 'ocean view' for himself. Patricia Belford, 80, accused the brazen neighbor of breaking onto her Nantucket property and cutting down 16 trees without her permission in February. According to a $1.4 million lawsuit , Jacoby removed decades-old cherry, cedar and Leyland Cypress trees from the home 'with the specific purpose of improving the ocean view from his own property.' When the trees were slashed, Matt Erisman, the property manager of Belford's $4.2 million home, notified the Nantucket Police Department (NPD), prompting an investigation. 'It was just a disgusting scene,' Erisman, 40, told the outlet. 'Even outside of my professional work, I've never seen a neighbor act like that and just deceive their neighbor like he did.' Belford herself does not live at the property, located at 1 Tautemo Way, but in an assisted living facility, according to the Nantucket Current . Jacoby's former landscaper, Krasimir Kirilov, voluntarily told investigators Jacoby was responsible. Belford, who is suing on behalf of her family's trust, claimed losing the trees has caused emotional distress In a police statement submitted as lawsuit evidence, Kirilov said Jacoby reached out to him for help cleaning up landscaping work he was going to do on his own. Once he realized the work was not on Jacoby's property, Kirilov refused the offer. 'The NPD concluded that Jacoby entered the property knowingly and willfully and cut the trees for his own personal benefit,' the lawsuit reads about the ongoing investigation. Nantucket Police Lieutenant Angus MacVicar told the Nantucket Current there are pending charges against Jacoby. Belford argued the trees added not only privacy, but value to her home - with a nursey estimating they each could cost thousands of dollars. 'Based on the number of trees removed, the replacement cost alone exceeds $486,000,' the document, filed on June 23, states. 'This does not account for the historic value, loss of screening, increased noise, reduction in overall property value. 'Jacoby's actions were not only economically damaging but also emotionally devastating for Belford.'
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Yahoo
Nantucket Man Who Chopped Down Neighbor's Trees for Ocean View Says He Was Simply ‘Clearing Out Her Crappy Trees'
A Nantucket man is defending his actions after his neighbor filed a lawsuit claiming he cut down several of her family's decades-old trees to enhance his ocean view. Jonathan Jacoby is accused of chopping down 16 of his neighbor's trees and three months later listing his home—highlighting 'sweeping views of the Atlantic Ocean.' 'I wasn't trespassing, I was clearing out her crappy trees,' Jacoby told the Boston Globe in a one-line email. Patricia Belford is suing Jacoby, who claims he chopped down the greenery that grew between her property and Nantucket's Hummock Pond Road, according to the Nantucket Current. She believes his motive had to do with him listing his property for nearly $10 million. Now, she's seeking more than $1.4 million in damages. She accuses Jacoby of trespassing on her propety at 1 Tautemo Way to cut the trees down. 'The Defendant's actions were calculated to enhance the ocean view from his own residence at 3 Tautemo Way and were carried out with full knowledge that he lacked any legal right to do so,' the lawsuit, obtained by the Nantucket Current, states. The trees that were chopped were over 30 feet high and decades old and included cedar, cherry and Leyland Cypress, according to the lawsuit. Jacoby's property, on Tautemo Way in Nantucket, has been on the market for more than 50 days and is listed at $9,975,000. The four-bedroom, 4.5 bath, nearly 5,000 square foot home was built in 1995. The listing describes the property as 'located on a high spot in sought-after Cisco. 3 Tautemo Way is a contemporary beach compound, developed and situated to capture the sweeping views of the Atlantic Ocean, Hummock Pond and the 780 acres of conservation land between Hummock Pond and Madeket.' Now, the home is at the center of controversy as to whether Jacoby had intentions of chopping his neighbor's trees to help enhance his property's description. The lawsuit alleges that Jacoby illegally entered Belford's property, walked across her driveway to the south-southwest portion of the property, and cut down over 16 mature trees without notice or permission on Feb. 22, 2025. 'The trees at issue were planted by the Belford family in the 1970s and maintained for nearly five decades. Their removal was not only a violation of the Plaintiff's property rights, but also caused lasting damage to the character, value, and privacy of the property,' the suit continued. Belford says the vegetation acted as a 'natural buffer' between the property and a nearby body of water. In a police statement, Jacoby's former landscaper, Krasimir Kirilov, said Jacoby admitted to cutting down trees on the neighboring Belford property and had asked him to help clean up the debris, according to the Nantucket Current. Law enforcement confirmed that Jacoby did not obtain permission to cut down the beloved trees. 'The loss of the trees has significantly diminished the value and character of the Belford Property,' according to the lawsuit. 'The family viewed the trees as part of their home and history. Their removal was deeply distressing to Belford and the Belford family.' EXCLUSIVE: 'Rehab Addict' Star Nicole Curtis Lays Bare Horrors She Found Inside Disgusting 'Crackhouse' Renovation: 'It Was Terrible' Peloton Trainer and 'Today' Show Star Ally Love Reveals How She Created Health and Wellness Haven Inside Her New Jersey Apartment EXCLUSIVE: Josh Duhamel Reveals Special New Upgrades He's Making to 'Doomsday Prepper' Cabin To Turn It Into Year-Round Sanctuary
The Independent
14-07-2025
- The Independent
Nantucket man walked into neighbor's yard and cut down 50-year-old trees to improve his ocean view, suit says
A woman on the vacation island of Nantucket is suing her neighbor after he allegedly walked onto her property and cut down several of her trees for a better view of the ocean — and the increased property value that comes with it. The lawsuit accuses Jonathan Jacoby of using a chainsaw to fell 16 of Patricia Belford's nearly 50-year-old cedar, cherry, and Leyland cypress trees. Three weeks after he allegedly cut down the trees, Jacoby listed his home for sale for nearly $10 million, according to the Boston Globe. Listed among the home's features: its "sweeping view of the Atlantic Ocean," according to the complaint. Belford points out in her lawsuit that the ocean vistas were "conspicuously missing from the property's prior listings." When asked why he destroyed Belford's trees, Jacoby provided a terse response. "I wasn't trespassing, I was clearing out her crappy trees," he told the Boston Globe in a single-line email. The Independent has requested comment from Jacoby's attorney, James Merberg. Many of the "crappy trees" that Jacoby allegedly toppled were more than 30 feet tall. They also provided Belford with "a natural buffer and privacy screen between the Belford home and neighbor's parcels,' the complaint says. Belford filed her suit in the Superior Court in Nantucket. She is alleging negligence, property damage, personal injury, and trespassing. The available court documents have not revealed how much she is asking for in damages. According to the lawsuit, the property damage caused at the house is estimated at more than $486,000. To purchase and transport one 30-foot-tall Leyland cypress — not including planting the tree — it would cost around $22,114, the Boston Globe determined. 'The trees at issue were planted by the Belford family in the 1970s and maintained for nearly five decades,' the lawsuit says. 'Their removal was not only a violation of the Plaintiff's property rights, but also caused lasting damage to the character, value, and privacy of the property.' Belford has also reported the incident to the police. According to the lawsuit, there is "an active and ongoing criminal proceeding" in the Nantucket Police Department related to Jacoby's alleged lumberjack activities. Jacoby's former landscaper, Krasimir Kirilov, reportedly gave a voluntary statement to the Nantucket police concerning the investigation, according to the lawsuit. He told police he knew nothing about the tree cutting. "I was surprised to find that out," the landscaper reportedly said.
Daily Mail
07-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Nantucket property wars after man 'cuts down neighbor's trees'
A property feud has erupted on a wealthy Massachusetts island after a brazen neighbor allegedly chopped down someone's 50-year-old trees to carve out an 'ocean view' for himself. Patricia Belford, 80, has accused Jonathan Jacoby, 55, of breaking onto her Nantucket property and cutting down 16 trees without her permission in February. According to a $1.4 million lawsuit, Jacoby removed decades-old cherry, cedar and Leyland Cypress trees from the home 'with the specific purpose of improving the ocean view from his own property' - which he is trying to sell. Belford and Jacoby are next-door neighbors sharing a property line, but most of the trees taken down were far from that border, Belford says. Jacoby has been accused of doing the unauthorized landscaping to make his stunning 4,491-square-foot beach compound at 3 Tautemo Way more appealing to potential buyers. In its Zillow description, the contemporary home, listed at just under $10 million, has 'sweeping views of the Atlantic Ocean' and Hummock Pond. Hummock Pond, a salt-water pond on the southwestern part of Nantucket, and Cisco Beach are just fractions of a mile away from Tautemo Way. And the only things inhibiting those 'sweeping views' of the nearby bodies of water were apparently the trees the Belfords planted in the 1970s. When the trees were slashed, Matt Erisman, the property manager of Belford's $4.2 million home, notified the Nantucket Police Department (NPD), prompting an investigation. Belford herself does not live at the property, located at 1 Tautemo Way, but in an assisted living facility, according to the Nantucket Current. Jacoby's former landscaper, Krasimir Kirilov, voluntarily told investigators Jacoby was responsible. In a police statement submitted as lawsuit evidence, Kirilov said Jacoby reached out to him for help cleaning up landscaping work he was going to do on his own. Once he realized the work was not on Jacoby's property, Kirilov refused the offer. 'The NPD concluded that Jacoby entered the property knowingly and willfully and cut the trees for his own personal benefit,' the lawsuit reads about the ongoing investigation. Nantucket Police Lieutenant Angus MacVicar told the Nantucket Current there are pending charges against Jacoby. Belford, who is suing on behalf of her family's trust, argued the trees added not only privacy, but value to her home - with a nursey estimating they each could cost thousands of dollars. 'Based on the number of trees removed, the replacement cost alone exceeds $486,000,' the document, filed on June 23, states. 'This does not account for the historic value, loss of screening, increased noise, reduction in overall property value. Jacoby's actions were not only economically damaging but also emotionally devastating for Belford.' Nantucket has become a hot spot for wealthy vacationers looking for a beach getaway. The average home price on the ritzy Massachusetts island was roughly $4.5 million as of May 2025, according to Only about 14,200 people live on Nantucket year-round - compared to the more than 80,000 that swarm the island for the summer, according to US Census data. It is unclear if Jacoby lives in Nantucket fulltime, and his lawyer did respond to the Current's request for comment. 'The way I feel is that I am confident once all of the facts and evidence have been presented, that justice will be served,' Erisman told the outlet. 'However, much of what has been taken from the Belfords is irreplaceable, and it's sickening.' The Daily Mail has reached out to Belford and Jacoby for comment.
