California View Obstruction
and Tree Law
About
Richard Pettler
Attorney, Negotiator, and Problem Solver
I bring over four decades of legal experience and problem-solving skills to my current practice. A longtime partner of a large multinational law firm, I ended my career as the firm’s General Counsel, responsible for internal contract matters, ranging from reviewing, negotiating, and drafting agreements to advising the firm’s attorneys on related legal matters.
Having retired from a big firm environment, I now represent clients in neighbor property matters, including view obstruction and tree disputes. This is the principal focus of my current practice (see Practice Areas below).
As a sole practitioner with a low overhead and focused practice areas, I can now provide highly personalized and cost-effective services to select individual, club, municipal, and corporate clients.
Trees, Views, and Neighbors
Neighbor disputes over trees and views can become volatile and personal. Even once friendly relationships can sour and turn adversarial when the use and enjoyment of one’s property is impaired or threatened. Lowering the temperature and inviting dialogue is a good start, although that is not always possible. That’s where clear-headed thinking, a proper understanding of the law and its limitations, and an assessment of the risks and rewards of unyielding mutual confrontation are paramount to a successful legal representation.
Once resolved, having the skills to negotiate and craft the settlement documents to ensure performance and provide remedies for future non-compliance is of equal importance.
My philosophy is simple: Whenever possible, a result-driven and strategic approach to resolving neighbor disputes without resort to costly litigation best serves the client’s interests.
Practice Areas
Before
After
- View and Tree Law: Representation of property owners in disputes with their neighbors over the growth and maintenance of trees, obstruction of views, and the conflicting rights and obligations of the parties to such disputes.
- Private and Non-Profit Clubs/Organizations: Advising clients on board governance, fiduciary training, bylaw review, contract negotiation and drafting, development of membership growth and retention initiatives, and establishment of long-term third-party strategic partnerships.
- Contractual Services: Negotiation and drafting of agreements for private and commercial transactions.
- Mediation Representation: Representation of clients throughout all aspects of the mediation process
Community Activities
I have long been involved in the community and civic life of the Bay Area.
Most notably, I served as the Chair of the Maybeck Foundation, the organization responsible for all fundraising and oversight of the restoration of the iconic Palace of Fine Arts under a unique private/public partnership with the City and County of San Francisco.
Over the past 15 years as a member and past President of the Berkeley Country Club, I have played a leading role in club governance and, when called upon, have drafted and negotiated agreements, bylaws, rules, and regulations on the Club’s behalf.
Drawing on my experience with collaborative partnerships, I recently negotiated and helped to implement an innovative long-term strategic partnership between the Club and my alma mater, the University of California, Berkeley.
For the past 20 years, I have been a legal observer at polling places in contested states to monitor and facilitate a citizen’s unimpeded exercise of the right to vote.
My wife, Wanda Westberg, a noted artist, and I have lived in Rockridge and Berkeley for 35 years. We are parents and grandparents to two beautiful grandkids.
When not working, I enjoy coaching their sports teams, playing golf, supporting Cal Athletics, and indulging in my passion for history, music, architecture, and early California art.
Contact
Please contact me if you need legal consultation or representation in a contract matter, or concerning a view, tree, or related neighbor dispute in the San Francisco Bay area. I look forward to assisting you.