A tale of two trees: A dispute between two neighbors over two felled trees has ended up at court.
outh Tangerang resident Hendra Apriansyah is seeking Rp 2.6 billion (US$175,000) in damages from his neighbor, Deddy Octo Simbolon, for cutting down a spruce tree and a tabebuia tree that were allegedly co-owned property.
Deddy expressed surprise during his testimony in the initial hearing on Thursday at the Tangerang district court, saying that the two trees actually belonged to him. He said he had planted the two young trees on the border between his house and Hendra's house.
“I was afraid the trees could be knocked down by strong winds, so I asked some security guards to cut them down,” Deddy said as quoted by kompas.com.
He said that, after the trees had been cut down, Hendra visited his house and even came to his office to complain about the incident. Deddy said that he responded by erecting a 2-meter fence separating his property from Hendra's, and then Hendra countered by filing a lawsuit.
“I then apologized and offered to mediate a solution, moderated by the RT [neighborhood unit head], but he didn’t show up,” said Deddy, and that instead, he received a court summons three days ago.
Deddy’s lawyer, Abdul Hamim Jauzie, said he sought to prove to the court that the felled trees belonged wholly to Deddy and that the trees the neighbors co-owned remained standing and untouched. (nor)
Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.