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Uprooting Trees During Shemittah

Would you be able to answer the following question?

A tenant is in an apartment that is being sold. The purchaser wants to uproot several (non-fruit) trees in order to pave over the area. Must these trees be torn down before sheviis? The tenant would much prefer to have them torn down when they move out, which is during sheviis.

Answer:

Under the circumstances there is no problem of uprooting the trees during the Shemittah year.

Tearing down a tree is not considered in this case “working the land,” so that there is no Shemittah prohibition in doing so. It would be forbidden to uproot the trees if the purpose was to work the land, but for purposes of paving there’s no problem.
Therefore, there’s no need to uproot the trees now, and this can wait until the tenant moves out.
Best wishes.

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