Crews cut down treetops on Ypsilanti Township resident Bill Riney's property

Crews cut down trees along power lines near Bill Riney's home in Ypsilanti Township in June.

File photo

Riney told AnnArbor.com this morning that crews were cutting the trees, and he got up into one of the trees to prevent them. He said four deputies from the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Department showed up. Riney then said he couldn't talk any longer and had to go.

A spokeswoman with ITC released a statement saying the company partially "executed our easement rights and were able to remove the tree tops that were impeding the safety and reliability of the high voltage lines in that area."

On Monday, Washtenaw County Circuit Judge David Swartz granted ITC access to Riney's property to have the trees removed.

"Ultimately, complete removal of the trees is necessary to ensure the long term safety and reliability of the lines," ITC spokeswoman Louise Beller said in the statement. "The court's decision helps to ensure the ongoing safety and reliability of the transmission grid here in Michigan."

Riney spent about two days in June camped roughly 30 feet off the ground to prevent ITC employees from chopping down white pine trees in his yard. About a month after his one-man protest, the Novi-based company agreed to trim roughly 3 feet off two of the trees, and leave three other large ones intact, Riney said.

But company officials were back in August and offered $10,200 for an easement on his property to allow them to cut the trees. The easement was necessary to protect the lines overhanging the trees and provide access to trim, remove and even destroy trees if necessary, according to court documents.

The company served Riney with a court summons after he refused.