Home & Garden
Couples Accused of Cutting Dozens of Trees
Metro sued the couples in March, accusing them of clearing trees to improve their view and home values.
Two Gresham couples accused of cutting down dozens of trees to improve their view and increase their home values are fighting back in court saying they did nothing of the kind.
In March, Metro - the regional government - sued the couples saying they had cut down 44 trees in a protected natural area owned by Metro.
The agency said the couples, who live atop Gresham Butte, increased their home values by tens of thousands of dollars.
Find out what's happening in Greshamfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
GET YOUR LOCAL NEWS FROM PATCH
The couples - David and Alyce Hadeed El-Khal and Stephen and Judith Brugh - filed papers in response saying they had only cut down a couple of dead and decayed trees and they did so because Metro had refused to clean them up.
Find out what's happening in Greshamfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The Brughs also argued that the while they did have some trees delimbed, they believed they were on their property.
The new filings were first reported by The Oregonian.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.