Lenora Pascuzzo of Hackensack is suing the city, the school board, Bergen County, state agencies, and a private tree company after contractors allegedly felled a 150-year-old oak that stood about 40 feet inside her property. The complaint, filed June 11, alleges trespass, negligence, and destruction of real property and seeks replacement-value damages, lost home value, and compensation for loss of shade and privacy. New Jersey law can award replacement costs that far exceed lumber value, so damages in mature-tree cases can be substantial. Liability will turn on who crossed the property line and who directed or carried out the removal.
150-Year-Old Oak Felled Without Permission — Hackensack Homeowner Sues City, School Board and Tree Contractor
Image Credit: NJ.com.
A Hackensack, New Jersey homeowner has filed a lawsuit after contractors removing trees from adjacent school property cut down a roughly 150-year-old oak that stood well inside her yard, according to court papers and local reporting.
What Happened
Lenora Pascuzzo says the approximately 80-foot oak stood about 40 feet inside her property line and had been growing there since around the nation's 1876 centennial. The complaint alleges that on August 12, 2025, defendants or their contractors entered Pascuzzo's property without authorization, cut down the oak, and removed it while she was away.
Legal Claims
The lawsuit, filed on June 11, alleges trespass, destruction of real property interests, negligence, and reckless disregard, among other claims. Plaintiffs named include the City of Hackensack, the Hackensack School Board, Bergen County, the State of New Jersey and other state agencies, as well as a private tree company, Rich Tree Service, Inc.
Why The Damages May Be Substantial
Under New Jersey law, damages for removing a mature, established tree often exceed timber value. Courts can award replacement-value damages, and for a specimen the size of Pascuzzo's oak, the cost of sourcing, transporting, and planting a comparable tree can be enormous or effectively impossible, driving awards far beyond the price of the wood itself. Unauthorized cutting is also treated as trespass, creating an independent basis for liability.
Responses From Officials
Hackensack Mayor Caseen Gaines told NJ.com the city had no municipal employees doing tree maintenance at the time and location alleged and denied municipal wrongdoing. School board president Jennifer Harris said the district's insurance carrier is handling the claim and will seek recovery from whoever is responsible. As of the NJ.com report, Rich Tree Service, Bergen County, and the state agencies named had not commented.
Broader Context
The dispute echoes a 2023 Kinnelon case in which dozens of mature trees were removed and municipal and homeowner liability issues arose, illustrating how local rules and logistical challenges can make replacement costly. Municipalities have also faced large payouts in cases where public entities failed to maintain trees and those trees caused harm, underscoring that tree responsibility carries real financial weight in New Jersey.
The suit seeks replacement-value damages, diminution in property value, and compensation for loss of shade, privacy, and aesthetic value. Which defendants are ultimately liable will depend on factual findings about who crossed the property line and who directed or performed the removal.
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