Lawyer accused of illegal Tahoe tree trimming settles suit

RENO -- A Reno-area lawyer has agreed to pay $7,000 to settle a lawsuit accusing him of illegally trimming trees on his Lake Tahoe property.

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency filed the suit in May in U.S. District Court after Melvin Laub rejected an offer to settle the dispute for $6,000.

The agency that regulates land use at Tahoe sued Laub and his neighbor, Paul Porch, claiming they trimmed trees to get better views of Tahoe from their Douglas County homes.

"He forced us to go to court. There had to be some consequence from his decision to fight the agency over a violation that was admitted and inarguable," TRPA lawyer John Marshall told the Reno Gazette-Journal.

"He admitted he directed the work to be done. There was never a question he was one of the responsible parties," Marshall said.

Laub, who has offices in Reno and four other towns in the Reno-Tahoe area, could not be reached for comment.

Laub, who was accused of trimming branches from three live trees, has said he was unaware of the ordinance that prohibits tree trimming without a permit.

The TRPA governing board will consider the settlement at its Feb. 26 meeting.

Under TRPA rules designed to protect Tahoe, property owners may not remove or damage live trees unless the trees have been determined by a qualified forester to pose a threat to property.

The agency has not dropped its suit against Porch and a trial was likely this year, Marshall said.

Porch is accused of trimming nine trees, including some on state land. He earlier turned down an $11,000 offer to settle.

Last year, the agency settled with Joe Benigno, the contractor who actually did the trimming. He was required to provide 40 hours of tree-trimming services on Nevada state land.

Officials say stiff penalties for violating the ordiance are needed to prevent people from cutting down trees to enhance their view of Tahoe.

They say illegal trimming to improve views is a growing problem, and that better views of Tahoe tend to increase a homeowner's property values.