Martin Running is pining for the top of one his 30-foot trees.
Running looked out his window last week and thought something looked wrong in his yard, but he couldn't put his finger on what was out of place at his home in Duluth's Lakeside neighborhood. A few days later, he realized what was askew.
The top half of one of his five trees had been cut off, leaving a gaping vacancy on the property.
"It looked like there was just something wrong out there. You never think someone's stealing your trees. It never crossed my mind," he said.
He planted the tree in his yard about 20 years ago. He estimates that the top 12 feet was cut off, adding, "All I can really say is, I hope they really needed it."
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Running reported the property damage to the Duluth Police Department on Monday and police determined that the tree had been removed. Running said he believes the cutting of trees on private property to use as Christmas trees probably happens more than people know.
The missing tree top isn't noticeable from the road, but it's noticeable from his house.
"It's permanent. It's forever. You can't paint over it. You can't put new siding on it. It's permanent," he said.
His insurance will only cover a fraction of the cost to completely replace the tree, so Running has decided to leave the bottom half of the tree in his yard instead of replacing it.
"The tree is gone and it's a permanent situation. It's an eyesore for the rest of my life," he said.
After the loss of his tree top, he's concerned about his other landscaping.
"The worst part is, I've got some nice trees on my property, where does it begin and end? When do they come back?"
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