A Palo Alto property owner is suing the city for nearly $324,000, claiming that roots from a city-owned street tree tore into its building and triggered water damage in a basement the city itself used to rent. KG-Bryant, LLC filed the lawsuit on Oct. 20 in Santa Clara County Superior Court, alleging the tree's roots intruded into the structure at 518-526 Bryant Street and caused flooding during the 2025 rainy season.
The irony is hard to miss: the basement in question, at 526 Bryant Street, had been leased by KG-Bryant to Palo Alto's own Planning and Development Services Department until January of this year, according to Palo Alto Online. The city had been using that building, along with City Hall and 285 Hamilton Avenue, as one of three locations for its permitting operations before giving up the lease.
According to the lawsuit, the trouble traces back further than last year's storms. The leak at the Bryant Street building was first documented as early as 2024, the filing states, well before the city vacated the space. The complaint alleges the tree's root system physically intruded into, beneath and against the property — reaching the basement's structural wall and even the structure supporting the public sidewalk out front.
A Leaky Storage Room And A Closer Look
By November 2025, the problem had become impossible to ignore. Palo Alto Building Manager Kyle Shea wrote that there was a good amount of water leaking in from the rains that day in the storage room, the report notes. The city owns the public parkway and the tree itself in front of 526 Bryant Street, with the tree falling under Palo Alto's urban forestry program.
Not long after, the city's Public Works Department issued a tree removal notice citing root damage to the basement, according to the lawsuit, with removal scheduled for on or after Jan. 2. KG-Bryant also hired engineering firm Allana Buick & Bers to investigate the source of the water intrusion. That firm issued its report on Feb. 5, ruling out other potential causes, per the filing.
The Price Tag On Root Damage
KG-Bryant's lawsuit puts the total damages at nearly $324,000. The bulk of that, about $318,000, covers remediation work the company says is necessary: removing the sidewalk, tearing out and replacing damaged waterproofing, installing new waterproofing, and planting a new tree. Another $5,700 is sought for investigation and mitigation costs tied to hiring Allana Buick & Bers.
The company argues in its filing that the property damage was substantial and disproportionate and warrants compensation, and claims the city has not paid just compensation for the harm done. As of Oct. 22, the city had not responded to the lawsuit, according to court filings cited by the same outlet.
What The City's Own Tree Rules Say
Palo Alto's tree management rules are notably strict when it comes to roots and removals. The city's Tree Technical Manual states that cutting tree roots without prior approval of the City Arborist is prohibited within a tree's protected area, and a written permit is generally required to remove a regulated tree except in specified emergencies, according to City of Palo Alto documents. The manual defines a street tree as any publicly owned tree, shrub or plant growing within the street right-of-way — like the one at the center of this dispute.
Separately, California Government Code section 835 lays out when a public entity can be held liable for a dangerous condition of its property, requiring a plaintiff to establish that the property was dangerous and that the condition proximately caused the injury, according to California Legislative Information. It remains to be seen how Palo Alto will respond to KG-Bryant's claims, or whether the city disputes the root-damage findings laid out in the lawsuit.
