A Miami homeowner is suing the owner of the lot next to his Little Haiti duplex after a 50-foot oak tree on the shared property line was cut down last year. Stefan Pizzi said he and his girlfriend never agreed to the removal, though a signed consent letter filed with the City of Miami suggested otherwise.
Pizzi and his girlfriend bought the duplex in 2023. He said the oak was a major reason they chose the home. A tenant called them in a panic when a crew clearing the neighboring land began taking down several trees, including the oak.
The property owner, JF Property Holdings, LLC, told Pizzi it had a permit for the removal. The letter the city received, which was submitted by the owner of the lot being developed, says the couple had been informed of the planned removal for a new single-family home. Pizzi said the names were his and his girlfriend’s, but the signatures were not theirs.
Pizzi’s lawsuit names JF Property Holdings, three others involved in the work and the notary who signed off on the letter. A judge dismissed the fraud and forgery claims in July. The defendants’ attorneys called the case a “classic Miami money grab.” The city said it reviewed the permit in good faith and will monitor any investigation into whether the submission was fraudulent.
Pizzi and his girlfriend ground down half of the remaining stump, repaired the fence and planted bamboo to screen the new house.
