Nigerian doctor and wife fined $1M for cutting down 38 protected trees

The City Council of Oakland has imposed a fine of nearly $1 million on Nigerian medical doctor Matthew Bernard and his wife, Lynn Warner, for allegedly cutting down 38 protected trees around their property on Claremont Avenue. 

The decision followed a public hearing on Tuesday, May 5, where more than 20 residents urged city authorities to enforce Oakland’s tree protection regulations. 

Residents argued that the trees played a vital role in wildfire prevention, environmental protection and public health within the community. 

Reports indicated that Bernard and Warner had previously defended the tree removal, saying the action was based on the recommendation of an arborist. 

Speaking during the hearing, Bernard said the trees removed nearly four years ago were either “d£ad, dy!ng, leaning,” or considered hazardous. 

However, city authorities disagreed with the explanation and imposed a total fine of $915,135.40 on the couple. 

The council also placed a claim on the property, a move that could prevent the owners from selling or developing the land until the penalty is fully settled.
Defending the city’s decision, community tree specialist Erys Gagnez said mature trees of such size could not easily be replaced. 

“Trees of that size are not commercially available for replacement. Even with replanting, it will take decades, even centuries, to restore the ecological and protective functions that were lost,” Gagnez stated. 

She added that the scale of the fine reflected the environmental impact caused by the removal of the trees.