John Lennon's son Sean ordered to remove tree leaning on Greenwich Village property of Marisa Tomei's parents
It's time for “Maxwell's Silver Hammer” to come down on Sean Lennon's tree.
A Manhattan judge has ordered the musician to "remove as immediately as practicable" the 70-year-old Ailanthus tree that is rooted in his front yard but leaning into the stoop of his neighbors, the parents of actress Marisa Tomei. The Greenwich Village soap opera on West 13th St. has been broiling for years as the tree — leaning toward the sun to the west — has slowly twisted and dislodged the wrought iron handrail on the stoop of the Tomei townhouse. Unable for years to communicate directly with Lennon, who bought his townhouse in 2008 but only recently started to renovate, Gary Tomei, the actress' father, sued Lennon last year for $10 million.
Lennon's lawyer, Judith Goodman, said at a hearing this summer that Lennon was willing to pay for the damages but didn't want to remove the tree. His experts proposed to repair the Tomei stoop and handrail, but move the handrail to accommodate the tree's 24-inch trunk. Tomei's lawyer said that solution would cost his client more money because he would have to get approval from the city Landmarks Preservation Commission before moving the handrail. The entire neighborhood is landmarked. Tomei had an additional problem: The city Buildings Department gave him a violation this summer for the broken stoop and he was subject to additional fines unless he fixed it immediately.
By: Barbara Ross
Source: NY Daily News
