Mārupe's Giant Oak Sawyer to Pay €27,500 — As Expensive as Buying Tickets to the Entire Liepāja Theater Season
A man received probation and a record-breaking bill for cutting down an oak tree. Such money would have been enough to buy tickets to the entire Liepāja theater repertoire.
The Mārupe giant oak case has finally reached the finish line, and the result is as surprising as someone wanting to saw down a tree next to their house. The man who helped organize this forest sports event received two years of probation supervision and the obligation to compensate €27,500. For this money, you could buy tickets to the entire Liepāja theater season for the whole family, but apparently someone thought it was better to invest in chainsaw equipment.
The story will sound familiar to anyone who has ever tried to organize something secretly. The man bought chainsaw accessories, handed them over to others, but stayed in the car as an observer. This is as effective as trying to hide that you're from Riga when talking about Liepāja's tram — everyone understands what's happening anyway.
What's most surprising is that the state calculated €27,500 in damages for one tree. Such a sum in Liepāja would have been enough to renovate half of Rose Square or buy a new bus for the route to Durbe. But in Mārupe, it seems, even trees cost as much as real estate.
Meanwhile, former construction board head Aida Skalberga received a €7,800 fine for negligence plus €11,088 in compensation. In total, this oak's standing and falling cost almost €47,000 — for this money you could build a new park in Liepāja. But as the locals say: 'In Riga, even trees are more expensive than our apartments.'
⚠️ Satirical article. Facts are preserved, but the presentation is humorous. For accurate information, please refer to the original source.