BUFFALO — Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan traveled to South Buffalo this week to meet with a local couple after city workers mistakenly cut down a large willow tree on their property, acknowledging the error and arranging cleanup and replacements.
How the error unfolded
Dan and Sarah Marinaro discovered the tree gone when they returned home from a trip in June. The willow had been damaged during a storm, but city crews removed it after mistakenly believing the tree stood on adjacent city-owned land. The Marinaros were left to contend with the debris until the issue was raised publicly.
Following reporting by local television and questions from city officials, Deputy Mayor Benjamin Swanekamp apologized to the couple and worked to correct the situation. City crews have since cleaned the property and will plant two replacement trees: a red maple and a sugar maple.
"If you break something you gotta go fix it. So if we did something wrong, we're the first ones to say 'our bad' and 'how do we make it right,'" Mayor Ryan told the Marinaros.
City response and broader planting plans
Interim Commissioner of Parks Stephen Buccilli said the city plans to plant between 600 to 800 trees citywide beginning this fall. The replacements for the Marinaros are part of that broader effort but were expedited in response to the mistaken removal and the resulting public attention.
Dan Marinaro said the couple appreciates the mayor's personal visit and the steps taken to rectify the mistake. "Thanks to your reporting you were able to show them it's on our property and wasn't their property. They made a mistake and they're rectifying it," he said. He added that the mayor showing up in person "means a lot."
Local implications and questions of accountability
The episode highlights several issues residents frequently raise about municipal operations: how property boundaries are determined in the field, the decision-making process used by public works crews after storm damage, and the mechanisms available for residents to seek redress when city actions affect private property.
- Property-boundary verification: The removal followed a mistaken assumption about ownership; the city later acknowledged the error.
- Restitution and remediation: City officials arranged cleanup and replacement trees at the request of the homeowners.
- Transparency and oversight: The mayor's visit and public apology were steps toward accountability after the mistake drew media attention.
City officials did not provide a detailed explanation of the internal steps that led to the error or whether any procedural changes will be implemented to prevent similar incidents. The public statement from the mayor framed the matter in terms of accepting responsibility and correcting the outcome.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Homeowners affected | Dan and Sarah Marinaro, South Buffalo |
| Trees to be planted | Red maple, sugar maple (on Marinaro property) |
| Citywide planting | 600–800 trees beginning this fall |
For many Buffalo neighborhoods, street and yard trees are more than aesthetics: they provide shade, reduce stormwater runoff and contribute to property values. The city's pledge to plant hundreds of trees will be watched closely by residents and neighborhood groups who track canopy loss and municipal maintenance practices.
The Marinaros said they are satisfied with the cleanup and the administration's response. City officials said they will proceed with the replacement plantings and continue their fall tree-planting campaign across Buffalo.
Questions remain about how the city will adjust field protocols to prevent future property mistakes. For residents who have experienced similar issues, the incident serves as a reminder to document property lines and seek prompt clarification from city departments when damage occurs after storms or public-works activity.
