Kaddis held responsible for tree removal
by Chris Wilson

The Ventura County Board of Supervisors denied an appeal by William Kaddis Tuesday morning and upheld the Planning Commission's April decision that the Los Angeles man is responsible for the removal of 301 oak trees and illegal grading on a 44-acre property that he owns adjacent to Rancho Matilija on Baldwin Road.
A representative from District 1 Supervisor Steve Bennett's office said the supervisors will work in conjunction with the district attorney's office to pursue action against Kaddis for the unpermitted tree removal and illegal grading that allegedly took place sometime between August and September of 2001.
Greg Brose, the supervising attorney with Ventura County's Consumer and Protection Division, said his office is reviewing the case to see if criminal or civil charges are in order. If a criminal case is filed it could bring misdemeanor charges that carry maximum $500 fines and six months incarcerations. If civil charges are filed, Brose said, a court can find penalties with a higher dollar amount and require restitution and restoration of the property.
Kaddis has previously said at the Planning Commission hearing in mid-April that he will take the matter to court if he has to.
Kaddis told the supervisors Tuesday he was innocent and had nothing to do with the removal of the oak trees on his property. Kaddis entreated the supervisors to see the situation from his standpoint.
"Before you judge a man, put yourself in his shoes," Kaddis said, "I have been prosecuted unfairly and there has been a total misrepresentation and total lies just to convict me."
County Planning official Scott Ellison presented a report, which included before-and-after aerial photographs showing the destruction to the property. It had changed little since the report he presented to the Planning Commission in April.
The report showed before and after aerial photographs of the Kaddis property which lies near the westerly entrance to Rancho Matilija. As before, he noted that the oak trees had been piled into valleys at the base of the property but that orange groves had ironically been left untouched.
Kaddis's attorney Neil Evans told the supervisors that his client was not responsible for the tree removal.
"Someone else did this," Evans said. "I feel we've done a reasonable job showing that."
Kaddis raised his voice and fired accusations of misrepresentation and unfair treatment at the supervisors. Several times Chairman Flynn hammered his gavel and ordered Kaddis to lower his voice and stick to the issues at hand.
"I find no values here," Kaddis hollered. "I find only total hate and discrimination."
To which Flynn responded, "Mr. Kaddis, slow down and no pointing fingers when you address the supervisors."
Kaddis, who has filed a $10 million lawsuit against Ventura County, will also now have to face the county's Animal Control Department. For several months, Kaddis has kept approximately 30 dogs on the property in unpermitted kennels. Animal Control allows up to four dogs to be kept on a property without a kennel permit. Code enforcement actions for the unpermitted kennels will now commence, Bennett's office said.

© 2002 The Ojai Valley News

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