State assisting Pacific Palisades resident with tree problem

After Tropical Storm Iselle brought down countless albizia trees in lower Puna last August, there was renewed focus on the dangers posed by the invasive species

Click here to watch Andrew Pereira's report.

Mei Kiese of Pacific Palisades said she began taking notice of the huge albizia tree in her neighbor's backyard about 15 years ago, long before Iselle struck the Big Island. Kiese said her neighbor refused to cut the tree down decades ago when it was still a sapling, and believes shes spent more than $24,000 trimming it back throughout the years.

When they building the house down there, this tree is below my fence and then we never can able to settle to cut (it down)," Kiese, who speaks broken English, told KITV4.

But as luck would have it, Kiese was eventually contacted by the state about her tree problem, which may result in the albizia being cut down.

Late last year the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, formerly known as State Civil Defense, came to Kiese's home to take a look at the situation and delivered some good news. Under a state law passed in 2009 that assesses potential hazards to public safety from trees, rocks and flood-prone streams, HEMA issued a $58,000 contract to have the albizia tree removed on Nov. 20. However, the contractor hired by the agency failed to cut down the tree before a large branch came down during a windstorm this past weekend and damaged Kiese's roof.

"It's driving me nuts," an exasperated Kiese said of the albizia tree. "I hope the state comes and takes care of it."

Last year, HEMA received $1 million from the state Legislature to fund the 2009 law known as Act 76, but nothing in the law says the state is now liable for damage done to Kiese's roof.

"The latest branch is as wide as my car, said Kiese. They hit the roof and broke my skylight."

HEMA spokeswoman Shelly Ichishita said the tree next to Kiese's property is still slated for removal, although she couldnt say when. Under the law, the state must provide at least 10 days notice before entering a property to remove a known hazard. If a homeowner refuses permission, the governor can obtain a court order to gain entry. The governor can also bill the property owner for all costs associated with the removal of the hazard and place a lien on the landowners property.

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State assisting Pacific Palisades resident with tree problem