Imagine the peace and quiet of your own back yard, being shattered with the noise of heavy equipment. That's what an Eyewitness News tip-line caller claims is happening in her area thanks to what she calls an illegal tree growing business being run in a residential area. After months of looking into the problem, 29-Eyewitness News Investigator Amity Addrisi uncovers a suspicious practice that has one neighborhood fighting mad. Wilma Maynard called our tip-line to report what she believes is an illegal palm tree selling business on residential property near her home. The woman who owns the property recently admitted to 29-Eyewitness News that the tree's are being grown there, but are sold somewhere else.

A grove of palm trees sprawls out across this open lot on Olive Drive, nestled into a neighborhood in Northwest Bakersfield. Wilma Maynard lives next door and believes these are money trees for the man who grows them, Terry Petris. Maynard tells us "I can't prove he is selling palm trees, I see them getting planted here by the hundreds, I see them getting pulled out of the ground." But Maynard doesn't have to prove the trees are for sale, the woman who owns the property, Petris' own mother, Joyce, told us herself. Joyce Petris admitted that her son is growing the trees at that location for sale but selling them somewhere else, at an unknown location.

Maynard says the noise of the work being done behind her home is unbearable. Petris says she's told her son to stop running heavy equipment but Maynard says the situation keeps getting worse. Maynard believes it's unacceptable for Terry Petris to operate his business on residential property, and after almost two years, Maynard says it's wearing on her health. Maynard told us about her health problems saying "I have cancer I have to go for radiation everyday, I go for chemotherapy once a week and I can't get any rest."

The noise is just one problem, Maynard says there is also heavy equipment on the lot. In the last 6 months, since 29-Eyewitness News began investigating this problem, we've seen it first hand. She told us that sometimes a boom from a crane-like truck is 200 feet up in the air lifting the trees up in the air and putting them on a trailer. Maynard hasn't sat in silence, she's Contacted Kern County Code Compliance, who has cited Petris for heavy equipment, trash, and for running a nursery on residential property. But Maynard says the trees keep coming and going.

The Petris family says they own the property, when we went to see the site for ourselves, several Petris family members showed up to find out what 29-Eyewitness News was doing there. When we asked about the grove, they all passed the buck on what's going on with the trees. I asked the Terry's sister about the neighbor's complaints, she told me "I don't know" and quickly drove off. We also asked Petris' brother who told us he was growing the trees as a hobby.

While we were at the lot on Olive Drive we caught Terry Petris using a large crane to load at least one tree onto a truck but according to the Petris' that was family business. Terry's sister told us the tree we saw was going to their mothers house. But when 29-Eyewitness News went to the home of Joyce Petris, there wasn't an olive tree to be found.

Back at the grove we finally caught up with, Terry Petris. We asked if he is selling the trees, he told is no. We asked why he had all the trees planted on the lot, he told us "I like palm trees." We asked him about the neighbor's complaints but Terry Petris seemed more concerned about who is saying what then simply telling us what he's doing with the trees. He did offer to set up a meeting, but he never showed up to tell us his side of the story. Maynard says while she waits for the county to take action she wants her story and his suspicious practices out in the open. She told us "I really appreciate you people coming out here and taking an interest because you have been the only people that have tried to help me." We then asked property owner Joyce Petris who told us "It's not going to be any more noise" we asked if she could guarantee that, she told us "I can hope so."

Again terry Petris' mother Joyce owns the property, she's the one who has been fined for his actions. Here's a look at the fines she's received, her first citation was for 250 dollars, the second citation was for 500 dollars. Kern County Code Compliance will be going back on Tuesday, and if the property is not cleaned up, The Petris family will be fined 1000 dollars. Code Compliance will also bill them for their time spent, that amount has not been figured out yet.

We want to let you know that our investigation is not over. We've contacted county leaders who say they are aware of the problem. We will continue following up and let you know what happens next.