Sign of a dispute between neighbors
Mike Flynn's property ends at the fence. Jess Goetz said Flynn cut down trees on his proprty to improve his view, so Goetz commissioned a sign.
JOSA SNOW/Press
Mike Flynn, pictured, hired a lawyer to send a letter citing "tortious interference with prospective interest," for a sign hanging between two trees that makes it difficult to sell his property.
Jess Goetz points to his property lines in red, and Mike Flynns property lines in blue. Goetz put up a 20 foot sign after he alleges Mike FLynn cut down his trees for a better view.
Jess Goetz had photos taken of trees that had been cut down on his property while having workers hang a sign from the pine trees.
“That sign is a nuisance, frankly,” Bayview resident Steve Leifer said. “It causes discomfort for lots of people who have to see it.”
The sign is a 20-by-20-foot vinyl flag hanging from cables between two pine trees on Jess Goetz’s property. It reads, "Do not cut neighbor's trees for your view. Shame on you!"
Goetz, 83, owns a lakefront home in Bayview with several rental homes on the property. Goetz claims a neighbor to his north cut down a handful of his fruit trees to give himself a better view.
The neighbor, Mike Flynn, has a different view of events. He said a tree fell onto his fence, which he cut up. He repaired his fence and moved on.
Flynn decided to list his current lot and shop on Cape Horn Road for sale, and he said that’s when Goetz put the sign up.
“How can I market and sell this property with that sign up?” Flynn said.
Flynn’s lawyer wrote Goetz a letter outlining a “tortious interference with prospective economic interest” because the sign is affecting the marketability of his property.
But Flynn only sent that letter after Goetz’s own lawyer wrote Flynn a letter regarding the removal of the trees, Flynn responded and then the sign was hoisted.
Goetz had a back injury that prevented him from visiting the northern end of his property where the trees had been removed. When he recovered and was able to visit the site, he saw where several trees had been cut down, he thinks to give Flynn a better view.
“He’s a pretty smart individual, I will say that,” Goetz said. “He actually laid this tree down. Now what he’s claiming is that this tree fell over on his property on his fence here, but that’s not the truth. Here’s the other trees, see?”
Goetz points to photos from his property of tree stumps and logs, which have since been removed from the property, he said. But he doesn’t have a clear overview photo of the property before, showing where the trees had been or were missing.
“The view problem, he solved that by cutting my trees down. ... I want to show new arrivals that they can’t run roughshod over Idaho natives without consequences,” Goetz said.
Flynn is hoping the situation will be worked out amicably by the lawyers. His father was a lawyer, and he’s learned to trust the system.
“This has been going on for a couple of years,” Flynn said.
He expects moving will help, if he can sell his lot with the sign there.
