A man in his 70s was fined 90,000 SEK after cutting down seven trees belonging to Örebro municipality to move a house from an abandoned plot to his allotment. Despite his intentions to clear a path for a tow truck, the court found him guilty of vandalism, emphasizing the significant ecological loss, particularly of a valuable aspen.
Man Fined 90,000 SEK for Cutting Down Seven Trees in Örebro
Man Fined 90,000 SEK for Cutting Down Seven Trees in Örebro
A man in his 70s wanted to move a house from an abandoned plot to his allotment. To facilitate the move, he used a chainsaw in a wooded area, a decision that proved costly. The trees he cut down belonged to Örebro municipality.
Two years ago, the man purchased an abandoned house on a plot in the Glomman nature area in southern Örebro. His plan was to relocate the house to his allotment. To do so, some trees needed to be removed to allow a tow truck to access the site, including a valuable aspen.
– I didn't want to do anything wrong or disturb the public. I felt I needed to get the house out and then clean up afterward, the man explained.
This information is detailed in a preliminary investigation, as reported by Nerikes Allehanda. The investigation recently concluded with a court ruling.
The municipality determined that a mistake had indeed been made.
A mistake costing as much as 90,000 SEK.
Wanted to Make Room for a Tow Truck
In the man's defense, he admits to cutting down trees with a chainsaw. However, he only considered the aspen particularly valuable, viewing the rest as undergrowth. During questioning, he stated that he had contacted the municipality, claiming he only intended to clear a path for the house.
– That's what I did, so to speak, the man said, explaining that the municipality was surprised when they realized he had taken the initiative with the chainsaw.
The municipality had asked him to only mark the trees, but when they sent a forest manager to inspect, the trees were already cut down. A significant ecological value was lost, they stated, highlighting the aspen as particularly valuable.
The forest's reestablishment could take up to 70 years.
Ordered to Pay 90,000 SEK
The man later acknowledged that communication could have been better on his part. However, he does not believe he committed a crime.
This week, the verdict was delivered. Örebro municipality sought damages for seven of the felled trees, calculating only those with trunks thicker than 20 centimeters in root diameter. The court agreed and sentenced the man conditionally for vandalism.
He must pay a total of 86,310 SEK in damages and an additional 4,000 SEK in fines.