Lawsuit Accuses Homeowner of Cutting Trees in Public Park To Improve View From His Mansion

An homeowner in Washington state is being sued—along with his wife and neighbors—for allegedly cutting more than 140 trees in a King County park near his home last year.

Vlad Popach, who works as a luxury real estate broker, is selling his hilltop mansion in Issaquah, WA, for $6.5 million and increased the asking price by nearly $1.5 million following the unauthorized tree removal, county officials allege in the suit.

King County attorneys contend that Vlad Popach is attempting to profit from improved views resulting from the trees being removed in Grand Ridge Park, an allegation he denies.

Popach and his attorneys did not respond to repeated requests for comment from Realtor.com®.

Inside the complaint

According to KING-TV, the unauthorized tree clearing first came to light after a downhill neighbor’s trail camera captured a large log hurtling down the hillside.

Tracing the damage uphill toward a development off Issaquah’s Grand Ridge Drive, the homeowner found dozens of trees cut within Grand Ridge Park.

In court filings obtained by Realtor.com, the county alleges that Popach and/or his neighbor, Sam Cunningham, hired a company around March 2025 to chop, limb, or top 142 publicly owned trees.

Popach told the Seattle Times that he and other property owners wanted to cut the trees because they believed they posed a threat to their homes, due to widespread wind damage. Popach also acknowledged that he knew the arborists would be cutting on King County land.

King County attorney Elsa Wood tells Realtor.com, "We don’t know yet who performed the actual cutting, but the complaint alleges that the cutting was done at the request or coordination of the Popach and Cunningham defendants."

Wood says the damage was initially estimated at $2.3 million in the complaint. 

"Our assessment of damages is still ongoing," she adds.

Washington state law allows damages to be tripled in certain circumstances, which could push the total to almost $7 million.

However, court documents show that defense arborist Favero Greenforest estimated the damage at a far lower $19,699.24.

New and improved views

The court documents state that "as a result of the unauthorized removal and damage of the Trees," Popach and Cunningham now enjoy "improved or less obstructed views" of West Tiger Mountain and the surrounding areas.

County attorneys claim Popach is attempting to profit from those enhanced views.

Court documents state, "King County alleges that this damage was done by the Defendants to improve their views of West Tiger Mountain or to otherwise increase the value of their already valuable luxury homes near the apex of Grand Ridge."

According to filings, on Dec. 12, 2023, Popach texted another real estate agent that he would accept $5 million for the property.

In August 2025—after the trees were cleared—text messages to that same agent show that Popach’s asking price for his residence increased to $6.5 million dollars, and the County alleges in court documents that he cited the view as part of the basis for the asking price.

Popach wrote: "It’s the best house in the grand ridge - certainly the only one with great light exposure and views. All else are dark and gloomy."

However, in court documents, Popach says that the reduced price back in December 2023 had nothing to do with the views, or lack thereof.

"At that time, the home structure was still under construction and unlivable," he stated. "Any sale at that time would have required the buyer to complete construction and finish the house. Thus, any potential sale price would have reflected the partially constructed home and need to continue with construction."

In March 2026, Popach listed the property for $6,490,000.

According to court documents, an MLS listing of the property included the advertisement of “expansive commercial-grade glass to frame sweeping cinematic Cascade Mountain vistas while dissolving the boundary between indoors and nature.”

The Seattle Times reports that the home was listed as a featured property on Popach's real estate website as of mid-April, with a sale marked as “pending."

Reasons for moving

In court filings from March and April, Popach said trees are still falling from the King County park onto his property, putting his home and young children at risk.

In a text message included in court filings, Popach stated, "The only reason we’re considering [selling] is because we just had a third baby, and we’re realizing that this home is no longer ideal for raising children in."

But King County attorneys wrote, "It defies belief that one who holds himself out to be a ‘specialist in luxury residential real estate’ did not have the foresight to consider whether the home he procured and built was suitable for children before moving into it."

In court documents, King County attorneys claim that "Popach’s intentions were to flip the home." They state that "after enjoying one summer with their newly cleared views," Popach listed his home publicly in March, "a time of year commonly considered ideal for listings and sales."

In April, King County attorneys expressed concern that Popach could sell his residence and transfer the proceeds beyond the court’s jurisdiction. They sought a writ of attachment to preserve any sale funds in trust pending resolution of the case.

But Popach disputed the claim, stating he has no intention of absconding or concealing proceeds and emphasized that his family has established permanent ties in King County.

The court denied the county’s motion on April 15, siding with Popach.

What's next

A civil trial between King County on the one hand and Popach, his wife and neighbors on the other hand is scheduled to begin in January.

According to the Seattle Times, prosecutors are still considering whether to press criminal charges.

When Realtor.com contacted Washington Attorney General Nick Brown's office to confirm this, deputy communications director Mike Faulk said, "We have a longstanding policy of neither confirming or denying questions about potential investigatory matters."