Dispute Over an Alleged Illegal Tree Cutting Ends With a $2.5 Million Settlement

A Menemsha resident who sued her neighbors for alleged, illegal tree cutting on her property has agreed upon a $2.5 million settlement.

In the original complaint, filed with the Dukes County Superior Court in February of last year by her attorneys, Martha Cottle, Trustee of the Cottle Family Realty Trust, claimed that over 100 trees were illegally cut down on her property at the direction of Beach Plum Inn owners Robert and Sarah Nixon in 2019.

The lawsuit alleged that Swordfish Enterprises LLC and its principals, the Nixons, were “without license, and negligent, or willfully cut down, carried away, girdled and otherwise destroyed the trees, timber, wood or underwood” on Cottle’s property for the purpose of enhancing their water view of Menemsha Harbor, Menemsha Pond and Menemsha Bight and to increase the value of their real estate.

Read the source article at MV Times