Celeb Surgeon Dr. Oz Sued By Cliffside Park Neighbor
CLIFFSIDE PARK, N.J. (CBS 2) -- Trees planted by Dr. Mehmet Oz are giving his New Jersey neighbors more than heart palpitations.
Angelo and Hana Bisceglie are suing the celebrity TV heart surgeon because the Oz family planted trees next to their Cliffside Park property that they say are destroying their view of the Manhattan skyline.
Dr. Oz, his wife Lisa, and their children have lived at the mansion for close to a decade. So have their neighbors, the Bisceglies, who used to have the same magnificent, panoramic view of the Manhattan skyline – until the Oz family planted three 30-foot cedar trees on their property.
"They block the entire view of the downtown area, now we can't see the Empire State Building," Hana Bisceglie told CBS 2's Magee Hickey. "Even from the bedroom window, we can't see anything."
The border war started as a skirmish two years ago, when the TV doctor placed bamboo trees and his pool and cabana construction site. The Bisceglies complained, saying they were flammable, so they were replaced with the view-blocking shrubs – and all because Lisa Oz is allegedly obsessed with her privacy.
"She doesn't want to see paparazzi," Hana said. "I don't invite them here to my home."
The Oz family's construction manager, Mike Wujek, declined comment.
"Can't say anything about the trees because of litigation," Wujek said.
While no one inside the Oz home could speak to CBS 2, other neighbors could.
"He's an asset, a fine neighbor," Roberta Beehler said. "I have nothing bad to say about the man, only good things."
To Hana Bisceglie, it's all about being good neighbors, and she's still hoping a compromise can be reached.
"It's Cliffside Park, it's not Alpine," Hana said. "All the properties are close together. You should expect this."
The neighbors claim the offending cedars have cost them more than $500,000 on the resale value of the $3 million dollar home
A lawyer for the borough of Cliffside Park said the lawsuit is just a conflict between the two neighbors over landscaping.
Dr. Oz's lawyer did not return repeated requests for comment.
