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Wealthy Homeowners Wage War Over Prized Trees
13 Nov
Summary
- Wealthy homeowners poisoning trees to improve ocean views
- Fines for illegal tree-felling can reach $150,000 per tree
- Public outrage over "abhorrent" acts of tree vandalism
In November 2025, a twisted tale of greed and deception is unfolding in the picturesque coastal town of Camden, Maine. Wealthy homeowners are resorting to extreme measures to enhance their ocean views, including poisoning their neighbors' prized oak trees.
The latest incident involves Amelia Bond, an out-of-towner who was caught tip-toeing through the flower beds, her pockets stuffed with the herbicide tebuthiuron. Her target was a clutch of 70-foot oak trees belonging to Lisa Gorman, heiress to the L.L. Bean outdoor retailer. Months later, when the trees' foliage had withered, Bond offered to split the cost of removal with Gorman, who promptly had the tree tissue tested and uncovered the plot.
This is not an isolated case. In nearby Nantucket, Massachusetts, a resident named Jonathan Jacoby was sued by his neighbor after chopping down 16 of her trees and then listing his property for $10 million, boasting of the "sweeping views of the Atlantic Ocean."
While economists may view these acts as "rational" decisions, the local community is outraged. Residents have described the tree poisoning as "abhorrent" and the perpetrators as "definitely evil." The fines for such timber trespass can be steep, with large trees potentially costing $100,000 to $150,000 each to replace. In the end, Bond settled with Gorman privately for $1.6 million.
As the battle for unobstructed ocean views rages on, the public remains captivated by these high-stakes acts of tree vandalism and the lengths the wealthy will go to improve their property values.
