Homeowner accused of cutting down over 16 mature trees for a better ocean view

A Nantucket homeowner has been accused of cutting down more than 16 mature trees on a neighbour’s property to improve the ocean view from his own home. Patricia R. Belford, trustee of the Belford Family Trust, filed a civil complaint against Jonathan Jacoby in Nantucket Superior Court on June 23, 2025. The dispute concerns land at 1 Tautemo Way. The trees had been planted by the family in the 1970s.According to a complaint filed in Nantucket Superior Court on June 23, 2025, Jacoby entered the property on or about February 22, 2025, without permission and cut down the trees. The filing says they provided privacy, shade, and a buffer from road noise. Belford is seeking compensatory and statutory damages, including treble damages, as well as relief for alleged emotional distress.Complaint alleges homeowner cut down more than 16 trees on neighbour’s landThe complaint alleges that Jacoby entered the Belford Property on or about February 22, 2025, and cut down more than 16 mature trees without notice or permission from Belford.It says he crossed the driveway before reaching the south or southwest portion of the land, where the trees were located. The filing identifies the trees as cedar, cherry, and Leyland Cypress, many of which were over 30 feet in height and decades old.It states that they formed a natural barrier between…