A RESIDENT of a gated community has joined other homeowners to file a restraining order against their home owners’ association.

Many people who live in the Silverleaf Arcadia area in Scottsdale, Arizona, say they made the move after their HOA, DC Ranch, refused to stop removing Sissoo trees from their neighborhood. 

The affluent area located in northern Scottsdale is known for its massively priced and sized homes. But a defining feature of the community is the 917 Sissoo trees that decorate the sidewalks and properties. 

In fact, many residents say that the fast-growing trees that reach heights of around 50 feet high and can spread as wide as 40 feet are what attracted them to the area.

“That’s why our family moved here,” said resident Barry Chasse referring to community’s landscaping.

Paul Petelin is another homeowner in the area and said: “Everybody knew this was the tree neighborhood.”

During the development of the gated community in 2005, DC Ranch had planted Sissoo trees, which are not native to the Sonoran Desert, throughout the neighborhood. 

But for the last three years the HOA has been feuding with residents to have the trees removed because they can cause damage to roads and underground pipes.

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According to the DailyMail, DC Ranch said Sissoo trees have an “invasive, destructive, and thirsty root system” that can run for 50 feet or more in order to find water.

Now the residents have filed a temporary restraining order against the HOA to stop it from removing any more trees.

Tom La Porte has lived in Silverleaf Arcadia for almost five years and said: “This has been a nightmare for three years.”

Last year he filed a civil lawsuit against DC Ranch because of the tree removal. The lawsuit cites that when the development was built more than 20 years ago the trees were included in the original plan and the HOA failed to maintain the trees.

Then last August, DC Ranch asked the Scottsdale Development Review Board for permission to remove the trees but the board denied the request.

The HOA said it planned to appeal the decision to the city council, but failed to do so. 

Then in September DC Ranch came up with a resolution. The HOA said it would not take any issue with those who opted to remove the trees from in front of their homes. 

But then in January of this year, the homeowners, including those who were against getting rid of the Sissoos, received an assessment from the HOA that said they owed $3,000 for tree removal. 

“I didn’t take my trees out. I don’t know why I should have to pay for anybody else?” said Juli La Porte. “For me to have to pay for that is just not right.”

The U.S. Sun has reached out to DC Ranch for comment but has received no response as of publication.