Landowners Rights Association Inc
Donation protected
The Landowners' Rights Association, Inc. is a non profit organization that has been set up specifically to fight the far reaching, hop scotch annexation of approximately 65 properties outside of Lewistown, Mt. Some of these properties are nearly 1 1/2 miles away from homes that border current City Limits and are not being considered for annexation at this time. While there are valid arguments ''for'' and ''against'' annexation, most homeowners- and many City residents- feel that the current process is simply unequitable. We are currently raising funds for our legal defense from homeowners, but some properties are owned by people who can't afford to donate and have resigned to moving away, and five properties are still owned by the developer, who will be released from his financial obligations to his subdivision if annexation is successful. We all feel that we purposely purchased our land outside of City Limits in order to avoid many of the problems that living within the City will bring us, and now that way of life is being forced upon us.
Montana law sates that if an area has less than 300 properties, a vote of the landowners must be taken in order to annex. To circumvent a vote, a request to sign a "waiver of protest" of annexation, meaning that, while you are still allowed a vote in the process, your vote would not count -was sent out to many homeowners. A few people signed this waiver voluntarily. Some had it slipped in to their closing papers when their land was purchased while some were told to sign and not worry about it, as it was only City Policy.
Others in our area were overlooked completely and had never been asked to sign either a Water Service Agreement OR a waiver. Somewhere between 12 and 18 of these individuals (we can't get concrete numbers from the City) were contacted last autumn and told that they had to sign the waiver, or their water service would be turned off. Believe it or not, this practice has already been ruled lawful by the Montana Supreme Court !! Most residents complied, but one couple- a 93 year old man who is on oxygen and his 91 year old wife who is wheel chair bound- refused, and their water service was disconnected. They went back on the well that they had used before hooking up to city water in 2005, but they are being annexed anyway.
We hope to raise $20,000 through Go Fund Me, which will help us take this matter to the Montana Supreme Court if necessary. Any funds remaining once this issue reaches it's final resolution will be distributed back to the Wounded Warrier Project.
Thanks in advance for your financial participation. Help us get the word out by "Liking" our page.
Montana law sates that if an area has less than 300 properties, a vote of the landowners must be taken in order to annex. To circumvent a vote, a request to sign a "waiver of protest" of annexation, meaning that, while you are still allowed a vote in the process, your vote would not count -was sent out to many homeowners. A few people signed this waiver voluntarily. Some had it slipped in to their closing papers when their land was purchased while some were told to sign and not worry about it, as it was only City Policy.
Others in our area were overlooked completely and had never been asked to sign either a Water Service Agreement OR a waiver. Somewhere between 12 and 18 of these individuals (we can't get concrete numbers from the City) were contacted last autumn and told that they had to sign the waiver, or their water service would be turned off. Believe it or not, this practice has already been ruled lawful by the Montana Supreme Court !! Most residents complied, but one couple- a 93 year old man who is on oxygen and his 91 year old wife who is wheel chair bound- refused, and their water service was disconnected. They went back on the well that they had used before hooking up to city water in 2005, but they are being annexed anyway.
We hope to raise $20,000 through Go Fund Me, which will help us take this matter to the Montana Supreme Court if necessary. Any funds remaining once this issue reaches it's final resolution will be distributed back to the Wounded Warrier Project.
Thanks in advance for your financial participation. Help us get the word out by "Liking" our page.
Organizer
Jay-Jesse Kinsey
Organizer
Lewistown, MT