Couple Fined Nearly $600K For Uprooting 180-Year-Old Tree

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SONOMA (AP) - A California judge has ordered a couple to pay nearly $600,000 for uprooting a 180-year-old oak tree and causing other damage to a protected property.

The Press Democrat reports Wednesday the case against Peter and Toni Thompson started in 2014 when a concerned neighbor reported heavy equipment and digging on a property protected under a conservation easement.

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Court documents show a Sonoma Land Trust official found more than 3,000 cubic yards (2,300 cubic meters) of dirt and rock had been removed and a 180-year-old oak tree had been uprooted.

The county sued the couple and a judge ruled against them last month. Shortly after, the Thompsons put the protected property and a neighboring ranch on the market for $8.45 million.

The couple is filing for a new trial.