Kansas neighbour cut 133 trees; court upholds $6,500 damages award

A Kansas appeals court on Friday, upheld a $6,500 damages award against a man whose fence-building project led to 133 trees being cut on a neighbour’s property in 2015. According to legal research website Justia, the court rejected several challenges raised by accused Douglas H Black, including arguments that the lawsuit was filed too late and that the damages were not properly calculated.The complainant was Jason Deal, who owns about 120 acres of recreational property in Woodson County, Kansas. In March 2015, a fence was rebuilt along the boundary between Deal’s property and land owned at the time by his neighbour, Ivan Black. The fence ran for about 300 feet along the top of a bluff.Douglas Black, Ivan’s son, helped build the fence with his brother Mitch Black, William “Ricky” Ward and Yancy Wade, who was Douglas’ stepson.