The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) was enacted to provide the fullest possible protection of the environment when governmental entities make decisions that have the potential of adversely affecting the environment.

Even California’s bent towards environmental protection could not prevent a court from agreeing that even trees may qualify as an unlawful “spite fence” in California. A “Spite Fence,” which may be prohibited by court order under California law, is defined as “[a]ny . . . structure” over 10 feet that was “maliciously erected or maintained for the purpose of annoying [a neighbor].”

California’s Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) was enacted in 1970. The law has undergone numerous amendments and has been the subject of countless published court opinions, which often have confused legal scholars and non-lawyers alike.