Timber Theft Attorney in Upstate NY

Upstate New York Illegal Logging Lawyer

In Upstate New York and other areas of the state, it is common for logging to occur and trees to be cut down on someone’s property. However, the harvesting of the trees must take place with the express consent of the landowner. If someone has come on to your property and cut down your trees, without your consent, you have grounds upon which to file a lawsuit in order to recover money that you are owed for the illegal harvesting.

At the law offices of E. Stewart Jones Hacker Murphy we are a team of experienced attorneys who have handled multiple cases in the area of timber theft and timber trespass. Our firm is highly skilled and fluent in the language of section 861 of the New York State Real Property Actions and Proceedings Law (RPAPL 861) that details how landowners are able to commence an action against the individuals or companies that illegally logged timber from their property.

Whether you had a contract with the party to harvest the trees and were not adequately paid, the contract was breached, more trees were harvested that were not contracted for, or another situation in which timber was illegally taken from your property, our firm can help. Contact us today to discuss your case with attorney John F. Harwick, Esq.

Experienced Timber Trespass Firm

Our firm is one of the few firms in New York State that handles timber trespass and timber theft cases. One of the most significant cases in this area of law, Vanderwerken v. Bellinger, was tried by our firm. We represented the landowner whose trees were taken without his permission. As a result, our client recovered several hundreds of thousands of dollars to compensate him for the damages he suffered as the result of the timber theft.

As a result of this highly publicized case, we have become one of the leading firms in this area of law. We work hard to see that our clients’ rights are preserved and that they get compensation for the loss of timber that they have wrongfully suffered.

Treble Stumpage Value plus $250.00 per tree

The market value of standing timber is referred to as “stumpage value.” When someone cuts your trees without your permission, you can recover three times the stumpage value of the trees, or $250.00 per tree. Restoration costs may also be awarded.