Sheila Smith wrote this chronology of events from memory and various documents March 10, 1999. Zeros in a date indicate where she couldn't remember the exact day an event took place. Sheila's original notes with names and dates were stolen from her car in October, 1998.
Background
Canyonville: Small town in Oregon, population perhaps a thousand. The neighborhoods are very mixed, with $150,000 homes right next to $20,000 mobile homes. It's a working class/retired area with a very low crime rate.
House: Older two story house on double lot approximately 200' by 200'. House sets back about 10', the old trucks (65 Ford 1 1/2 ton flat bed and 63 Chevy box van) are about 20-25' feet from the street, the Challengers are parked in back, not easily, or very visible from the street.
Me: The perfect victim. One person said, "Your mother dresses you funny and you talk funny. No one cares what happens to you, and no one is going to stick up for you."
I'm also a blabber mouth. After my husband died, and I tried to get back into society, I'd talk with anyone, anywhere. Sometimes it paid off.
Other Cars: A few blocks away, five cars, candidates for restoration, are sitting within four feet of the street; two other, very dead cars are within four feet of the street, on the side of the same house. They've been there for at least six years. There are at least 20 "inoperable" cars within a four block radius.
City Ordinance Complaints: The former Mayor, who had held office for many years, (several terms at least) said he can't remember any complaints about cars while he was in office.
This "abandoned" vehicle ordinance was passed by the person who's been making the complaints about my cars.
Chronology
11-92 Moved to Canyonville
Husband in the early stages of Alzheimer's. Quit full time work to stay home with him, and keep him out of a nursing home. My own health steadily deteriorates under the strain.
Met the neighbors over the back fence, and they seemed very pleasant people. The man (who becomes the complainer) started my weed eater numerous times when I was out weed eating. (I can hold the weed eater, using the harness, but I'm not strong enough to start it.)
Husband continues to take care of cars, tinkering with them.
Taking care of my husband, I become an almost total recluse, become very weird, in conjunction with my health problems. Very weird.
Doctor tells me to put husband in nursing home before I kill myself.
Husband removes master cylinder from 1 1/2 ton flat bed, buys a rebuilt one, puts it in engine compartment, but does not connect it (needs gaskets). Continues to rotate batteries through the cars, starting them, changing anti-freeze, oil, and moving them. I cannot believe he can be so capable in some areas, and not in others.
He is becoming more delusional. I tie myself to the door knob, outside the bed room door, so he can't get out without me knowing about it.
I sleep through his opening the door, putting me in bed, and then starting off for the Naval Base where he has to report for duty. (He's ex-Navy, he was living 50 years ago.)
3-00-97 Finally put husband in nursing home after above.
5-4-97 Husband is killed when nursing home attendant in car chases him for the length of several football fields.
Health continues to deteriorate. I lose approximately 50 pounds. Finally, narcolepsy, (sleeping sickness) is diagnosed, and various medications are tried. None work well. Then, a chronic fatigue syndrome variant is diagnosed. Drastic changes in diet and life style are made, and my health improves somewhat. I am still house bound for days, sometimes weeks at a time, too weak to even feed myself. My weight goes up and down, sometimes as much as 20 pounds.
6-00-98 As I'm trying to weed eat, complainer talks with me over back fence, learns my husband is dead, and I'm even more ill than I have been before.
6-00-98 Two young men come to door, try to buy vehicles. They say, "You don't have any use for them now that your husband is dead."
7-7-98 Complainer puts letter on my car telling me to remove my cars within 10 days or he will complain to the City. Copy of old ordinance attached.
7-00-98 Neighbor hears complainer screaming at Hudson car owner, threatening him with law suits, liens against his home, and worse. Hudson owner gives Hudsons to wrecker, he is allowed to keep his van. Hudson owner is allowed to wrap his valueless van in blue tarps and keep it. (Later, I am told I cannot do the same with my Challengers.)
7-00-98 Neighbor (the Plymouth owner) two streets up is threatened, and he stuffs one car in his garage, finds a storage place for his other. His niece gives up her 78 Mustang and a Capri. Suddenly her 71 Datsun stops running, and she sells it very cheaply because she's afraid of the ordinance. She says she was afraid the city would come after her if they learned it wasn't running. (This was probably an unintended consequence, but it shows how people become frightened.) She learns it was a simple carburetor problem.
7-00-98 The Plymouth owner is graciously allowed to bring his 57 and 58 Plymouths home, because he's a man, and obviously intending to rebuild them.
7-00-98 Two young men come to door again, try to buy vehicles, threaten me. "You're either going to sell us the cars or give them to us."
7-00-98 Serious harassment starts. Water is turned on at outside faucets many times; water bill triples to approx. $60.00. Threatening phone calls wake me in the middle of the night.
7-00-98 Car is running very very funny. After taking it to several mechanics, spending the grocery money again, it's discovered that something on the fire wall is damaged. They jerry rig it.
7-00-98 Spent all my money on car, go to food bank. When I politely decline some canned goods, explaining I'm allergic to them, the person says, "Awfully picky aren't you? Maybe we should keep this food for someone who would appreciate it." I walk out.
7-00-98 The only food in the house is rice and oats. I decide I'm not very hungry after all. After several days, I start eating rice. And oats. Hot oatmeal without sugar is terrible! I try it with salt, and it's still inedible. I stick with the rice.
7-00-98 My garbage is scattered all over the yard. My potting things are also scattered. I struggle to pick up everything.
7-00-89 Vehicles disabled by stealing batteries, gas, other parts, and mechanically damaging them. Continues to date. Police reports made.
7-23-98 City administrator claims to have snuck onto my property and "inspected" vehicles. If so, he went through a locked gate. (Gave up locking it after it didn't do any good.)
8-00-98 Weeds are head high. To a goat. I and a neighbor cut at them. She's disabled also, and we can only work a few hours at a time. Because I have paced myself, and limited my activities, the aftermath of pain and weakness is not too bad. I still have to stretch out on the kitchen floor so I can reach the pet food and feed everyone. However, I'm only down about two days.
8-00-98 As I'm outside, trying to pick up the scattered garbage, a man comes by, and sympathizes with me. He offers to make a "building" enclosing the two trucks, and the two Challengers, for $500. He tells me most of that is materials.
8-00-89 Young men come to door, try to buy vehicles, threaten me. "You're either going to sell us the cars or give them to us." This happened 3? times.
8-00-89 Building person comes by again, urging me to have him build building - I agree. I know the Challengers will start, but it's been some time, and I don't want to start them without changing the transmission fluid and oil because that's what my husband said we had to do. I tell him I don't know where I will come up with the money, but I will do so.
8-00-98 The ordinance says "inoperable" vehicles are safe if they're enclosed in a "building." A "building" is anything with walls and a roof. There are several "igloos" of blue tarps and PVC pipe on this block. I spend the grocery money for PVC pipe and two blue tarps. After trial and error (mostly error) I get three U shaped PVC pipes around one car. I start to put the blue tarps over them. This is not working. It's falling down. It needs some sort of stabilizer.
8-00-98 Garbage scattered all over my yard again. I don't even try to pick it up, I am only strong enough to continue trying to make a "building."
I get a metal stake and try to pound it into the ground. I get a step ladder, sit on the top, and start pounding. I'm too weak to swing the sledge hammer, I just lift it and let it fall on the stake. I keep dropping the hammer. Finally, I get some packing tape, and tape the darn hammer to my hand. At least I'm not dropping the thing! But I'm so weak I'm spending as much time sitting on the ground as hammering.
Finally, three days later, I have some sort of structure around the car. I have no money for tarps for the second Challenger. No strength to build it right now!
8-00-98 Still very weak, I try to pick up some of the garbage.
8-00-98 Friend and I work on the grass again. Again I'm down for about three days. I could perhaps handle this if I could work for only an hour an day, but I am not strong enough to start the weed eater myself, so I have to work when my friend can work.
8-16-98 Garbage scattered around yard again, potting materials scattered again.
8-17-98 I attend the city council meeting, explain that I will try to move of the vehicles, get the others running. The city administrator is told to inspect my vehicles on 8-24-98.
8-00-98 I can either pick up the garbage, or try to get vehicles running. I work on the pick up, charge its battery, and get it running.
8-22-98? 4am - A threatening phone call awakens me. I cannot get back to sleep. I go outside, and start the pick up. It has half a tank of gas, and starts up right away.
8-24-98 City administrator comes out to "inspect" vehicles. T-Bird starts, then dies. It is out of gas. I discover the gas has been drained out of the pick-up also. It grinds on the started, but does not start. I am so rattled, I do not even try to start Camero. (Later, it will start right up, and drive off with it's new owner.)
City administrator tells me to get rid of all this "junk." I tell him I am making a "building" for the two Challengers. He states that a blue tarp structure is not acceptable. I point out the blue tarp structure enclosing the Hudson owner's van. The city administrator says he doesn't have a complaint about that, he has a complaint about me, and a blue tarp structure is not acceptable, never mind what the ordinance says, he says I can't put my cars in a blue tarp structure. He tells me that I have to have a building of the type that requires a permit, and I'm not going to get a permit.
8-00-98 Witness, present when city administrator came out, suddenly decided car did not start after all, refuses to verify vehicles ever ran.
8-00-98 One neighbor, upon learning who complainer was, and other facts, declines to verify vehicles running.
8-00-98 Building person returns, I tell him I will somehow find money for a building. He promises it will be "acceptable" and will protect both trucks, and both Challengers.
8-31-98 Sell Camero for $500. I cry as it drives off. For several days I am incredibly despondent. That car had so many memories! When my husband was in the hospital, his dog and I slept in that car! She was such a good dog! I left the hatch up, and she never got out until I came by to take her out to use the bathroom. And she couldn't eat the hospital food! I brought her some fish, and some mystery noodles. She didn't eat! I had to go to the hot dog stand and get her a couple of hot dogs!
8-31-98 Friend takes Ranchero. He will try to get it running.
9-00-98 Garbage scattered in yard again.
9-00-98 Friend gives me list of persons she contacted on the Internet, and telephone calling card so I can contact them.
9-00-98 A consumer protection attorney tells me, "You've ran afoul of the "License to steal from the widows, orphans, and ignorant" ordinance. These ordinances are passed by crooks who often get local people to front for them. Most of the time the townspeople don't even know they're being manipulated. After they get these ordinances passed, they make vehicles "inoperable." They can make a car "inoperable" in 60 seconds, without even popping the hood. I've seen them tow off an "inoperable" car, stop a block away, unhook it, and drive it off. While the owner watched and cried.
"Even if the owner manages to get the car running, it's too easy to make it "inoperable" again. People on Social Security may have to save up for months before being able to buy a battery. Someone steals it, and the victims can't buy a battery in time to prevent the car from being taken.
"Sometimes locals see how easy it is to abuse an ordinance, and decide to try it. If they pick their victims carefully enough, it works, and no one ever knows what's happening. This becomes a real power trip for some of these . . . people. They see victims struggling helplessly, in agony, desperately trying to save their car, and they enjoy it! Never mind the money, they just get off on tormenting some helpless old lady or man, seeing her/him squirm and struggle, trying to keep their pathetic old car. Sick."
9-00-98 Horrified, frightened, and disbelieving, I start writing, "License to Steal?"
9-00-98 Talked with law professional about the city ordinance. He tells me that it "allows" an "agent" of the city to come onto private property, without due process of law, or notification to the property owner, take any "inoperative" vehicle not enclosed within a "building," and dispose of it as junk, in any manner the "agent" deems best, without any accounting to anyone regarding the taking of the vehicle, its contents, or the disposal of either.
Up here people park their old van with all their worldly possession at one location, rent at a second location, and then go to work building their home at a third location. Takes a long time to build up here. This ordinance allows the city, or its agents to take that van full of possessions without notification to anyone. When the people finally discover their truck and goods are gone, they may not even know who took it. If they ever do track down the who ever took their possession, the their can hide behind the law and say, "Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't know there was anything in that van when I sent it to the crusher. But you did break the law, you know." There is very little they can do about it.
They can also take construction equipment.
This nastiness is disguised in pages of gobllegook. It seems to say one thing, but it is actually saying something else. It's very tricky, and it's very well done. This ordinance is illegal, but this won't be the first time someone has used an illegal ordinance to take property.
9-10-98 Medical professional (accidentally encountered at grocery store) tells me about elderly widow who lost her late model car. Someone stole the windshield whippers and side mirror, making it "inoperative." Medical professional will try to pursued the widow to talk with me.
9-10-98 Medical professional's young friend wants to help. She offers to find out "abandoned" cars and establish their where abouts and condition.
9-00-98 Another friend cruises the neighborhood and finds 37 "inoperative" vehicles, some of which have undoubtedly been there since Henry Ford first started making Fords. She copies addresses and plate numbers for me. I put this in a folder, which I keep in my car most of the time.
9-00-98 I'm referred to a senior law advocate who questions me about the situation, looks at the ordinance, and tells me, "I'm not surprised these people are after your cars. These people are incredibly good at choosing victims. They could make a very good honest living for themselves if they'd use their abilities decently..
"Instead, they locate and prey on "perfect" victims. Their victims are almost always elderly and have few friends. They are often in crisis, disorientated, perhaps mentally ill. They do not "present well." They're the "crazy old lady who feeds the pigeons in the park" type. If they cannot be terrorized into giving up their car, these petty gangsters easily turn the whole community against them. They scatter garbage in her yard, pour beer down her dress and try to get her arrested for public drunkenness.
"You can't fight these people," he tells me. "They can break your cars faster than you can fix them. You're too sick to fight them, you don't have the money to fight them. And you don't have a lot of friends who can help you. You don't "present well." You're the "crazy old lady feeding the pigeons in the park" instead of a sweet little old grandmother. You simply cannot fight these people. Someone else could, but you can't. Cut your loses. Let them have the cars, and hope they don't try to take your house."
9-18-98 Garbage scattered about yard again.
9-21-98 City administrator claims he snuck onto my property, went in fenced back yard, and inspected my vehicles this date. I don't remember anyone in my back yard.
9-21-98 Council meeting. City administrator testifies none of the cars are running. The mayor, seemingly sympathetic, asks if any of them try to start, or even "go woo-woo-woo" (turn over on the starter). City administrator says none of the cars turned over with any expectation of starting.
Complainer says yard is full of weeds, city administrator says same. Council orders me to cut down weeds, or face serious fines and other actions. Ex-mayor stands up and says Lions will take care of the weeds for me.
9-00-98 Lions come out, with weed eaters, lawn mowers, bags and wheel barrels. This is a full fledged assault on a weed laden yard. They enter the back yard, stop in amazement. "They're complaining about this?!?" one Lion says. There is less than 10% weeds in the back yard. The Lions vigorously tackle what few weeds dare to raise their stems. We work for about half and hour, and visit for about two hours. Everyone discusses what is happening to me, and everyone says, "But they can't do that!"
10-00-98 Discover Ranchero, which had had timing problems, now has frozen engine. Possibly water poured down spark plug holes.
10-00-98 Continuing my investigations, I talk with a source who says, "Give it up lady! You're a victim. You talk funny and your mother dresses you funny. You're weird. No cares what happens to you, and no one is gonna stick up for you. Get smart. Give 'em your cars, and then crawl in a hole and pull it in after you and hope nothing worse happens to you." I do not feel encouraged.
10-00-98 Man comes by, says he is very interested in buying flatbed. I desperately need the money, so we come to a tentative agreement. (Later someone will tell me the price is very unfair.)
10-8-98 I send a letter to city council, asking for extension of time - saying the weeds are down, two cars are gone, two cars are running, someone going to buy flatbed so I'd have money to work on others.
10-00-98 I get the pick up running again, but discover there is water in the oil. Is it from engine damage? Or do someone pour water in the oil? I can't afford to change the oil right now.
10-10-98 Finally I can afford to change the oil in the pickup. Now how do I do this? After much experimentation, I finally locate what I hope is the oil plug, and remove it. I cannot remove the plug. I craw out from under the truck, get an extension for the wrench, and craw back under. Yep, it's the oil plug. I get a face full of oil. It's been a long time since I've changed my own oil. I am realizing just much my husband did spoil me. My strength is going, so I just lay on ground, in the rocks, watching the oil drain. I put the oil plug back in, making a note to check it after driving it for a very short distance to make certain I've tightened it enough. I replace the oil filter, put in the new oil, put the oil bottles in the trash. I am feeling very weak.
I make it into the garage, and collapse on the cold concrete floor. I am getting darn tired of this. It's the next morning before I can crawl into the kitchen. Thank heavens I fed the pets before I started changing the oil.
10-13-98 Wrote letter to local newspaper's letter column, thanking Lions for cutting my weeds.
10-13-98 Contact local newspaper reporter, give her analysis of ordinance, commenting that undoubtedly her legal experts will find even more frightening things in it. I also give her rough draft of "License to Steal?"
10-00-98 Building Person shows up again. He is very sympathetic, and tell him all my troubles. I also tell him friends are doing "investigations" for me, and discovering all sorts of interesting things. He says he will be back in a few days to start work. I put his name and number in the folder, show him some of the things we've discovered.
10-00-98 Folder of notes with names and addresses of possible witnesses stolen from car next day or so.
10-00-98 Young helper suddenly quits. She says she maybe found four genuinely junk vehicles which had generated complaints which city hall ignored. But, she says she misplaced all her notes.
10-00-98 I am supporting the former mayor in his bid for mayor. He tells me that this administration has committed the city for enormous sums for water treatment and development. If the city cannot meet these obligations, it may go bankrupt. If someone buys these obligations, they could own the city. I don't see the relevance of these revelations at this time.
10-26-98 I write a letter to the local newspaper's letter column, pointing out the expensive consequences of current mayor's regime, urging people to vote for former mayor, who is running again.
10-00-98 Garbage scattered around my house and yard. Threatening phone calls increase. Outside water is turned on, then suddenly turned off, making the pipes rattle in the whole house. THAT will wake the dead, much less a light sleeper like me.
10-00-98 Discover batteries have been stolen from all the vehicles, parts stolen, gas drained from all vehicles. The rebuilt master cylinder is stolen from the flatbed.
10-00-98? Learn new and vicious ordinance in the works. This is "emergency" legislation!
10-00-98 Get copies of vehicle ordinance from other cities, talk with administrators and enforcement officials, who can't believe Canyonville is doing this.
10-31-98 Talk with legal professional, who says proposed ordinance is incredibly "vicious". It serves no honest purpose. "This isn't intended to "clean up the city." It's intended for one purpose only - to frighten people into giving up their property."
10-31-99 "They're not after your cars, they're after your property!" a law professional tells me. This ordinance "allows" an "agent" of the city to come onto your property, without notification to anyone, including the city council, take your vehicles and dispose of them without accounting to anyone. This ordinance appears to require notification, but it doesn't.
It's very possible that vehicles could be taken from a person's property, and lien sold, without the owner ever knowing anything about this.
However, the taking of the vehicles isn't the real issue here. Look, there is absolutely no provision for penalties against the vehicle owner. None. The real issue is the costs, jail time and fines that may be assessed against the property owner. The property owner, not the vehicle owner. And, there is no requirement to notify the property owner. In fact, the ordinance specifically says that defect in notification, or other errors, does not void the liens against the property. Cities have certain "rapid foreclosure" rights, and these can be sold to a third party. It's all too possible for the city's liens to be sold - for $25.00? - to a third party, who adds his own "costs" and then forecloses."
"There is a lot of absentee ownership of undeveloped property up here," my source says, "A lot of people buy vacant land, planning to build after they retire. It's very easy for someone to move a camper or trailer onto that vacant lot. No one is very likely to know he doesn't belong three.
The city, if they even bother to send out notices, send them to the vehicle owner, claiming he is the property owner's "agent." The city then moves the vehicle off the land, assesses costs, files liens against the property, sells the liens to a third party, who then forecloses.
A dummy property tax notice is sent to the property owner, and he continues to pay his property taxes. The Property tax office doesn't care, or pay attention to who pays the tax. When the property owner finally shows to build, it's far to late to do anything about the illegal taking. In fact, he may be threatened with lawsuits, a citation, fines, jail time. Remember, there's no limitation on when the city can issue citations with penalties of fines and jail time.
There are other issues, too. This ordinance could be a never ending nightmare for anyone who had an enemy at city hall.
The ordinance allows civil or criminal proceeding to be filed at any time. Even if you remove your vehicles, or even pay the city for the costs of removing them, the city can still file criminal proceedings. Isn't that a nice threat to hold over the head of anyone running for office against the incumbent?
Or if you contest inflated "costs" to remove the vehicle, you can end up going to jail.
11-00-98 Neighbor learns of my plight, and offers to help me get my cars running.
11-00-98 Police officer sees orange Challenger running. Another police officer sees truck running. They make log entries.
11-00-98 This new "emergency" ordinance provides for issuing a criminal citation for "abandoned" vehicles. I contact the sheriff's department, asking them procedures for issuing out of town citation. They are uncertain exactly what the procedures are. They may ask another law enforcement agency to serve them, they may just mail them.
11-00-98. Wire pulled loose from battery charger while it was charging battery.
11-00-98 The pick up truck isn't running! Again! A person has expressed an interest in buying it. I and friend get it running, but when the prospective buyer comes out, it doesn't run.
11-16-98 I re-contact the local reporter, telling her of city council meeting tonight. She's had a very long day, but she tells me she will be there. I give her copies of analysis ordinance, tell her I will try to find local legal source who will agree to be quoted.
11-16-98 City council meeting. Reporter is present, as am I. A police officer expresses reservations about proposed ordinance. City administrator says he was just copying parts of other city's ordinance. He gives the impression he's just trying to do what the council wants him to do, to the best of his ability. Council meeting declines to pass ordinance because it needs work. After the meeting, reporter contacts mayor.
11-00-98 The wonderful Lions give me a Thanksgiving food basket. I will make it last into January.
11-00-98 "Procedures" are created to address the many deficiencies in the new ordinance. This may be a result of the reporter's questions to mayor and council members after the meeting.
11-00-98 Legal professional laughs at the "procedures." Says they are not worth the paper they're printed on. They're not required to be followed, they can be changed at any time by anyone. But, interesting enough, notice (not certified or registered) is still being sent to the owner of the vehicle, not to the property owner. However, it's the property owner who has a certain number of days to respond. This is a "sewer service" setup my source snorts in disgust. But it also reenforces the "right" of the city or its "agents" to come onto private property, take it, charge the property owner for costs, and then place a lien on the property.
11-00-98 Legal professional also says, "This ordinance, and these procedures, are just too good to be the work of someone who doesn't know what he's doing."
11-32-98 I talk with the ex-mayor. He tells me he can't remember any "abandoned" vehicle complains all during the time he was mayor (several terms). Discussing the changes wrought by this new administration, I learn the new administration raised the water and sewer connection/development fees on new residential construction from $2,300 to $6,000. More increases are scheduled. People did not build, or delayed building because, after paying for their $25,000 mobile home, they couldn't afford the new fees. Vacant land prices fell.
12-00-98 Meet elderly lady at post office. I've seen her here before, and talked with her. She is incredibly lonely, and desperate for someone to talk with. I always spend some time with her, just listening to her. This time I blabber on about my troubles before I suddenly realize that tears are quietly, silently flowing down her cheeks. In a whisper, she says, "I know. I had to give them my grandson's car." I ask her if I can quote her story. She shakes her head. "I'm sorry," she says, "I just can't take any more." She slowly walks out, bent, defeated. Silent.
12-00-98 We discover that either the fuel pump isn't working on the orange Challenger, or something is blocking the gas line. I buy some fuel line, and we take it from a small gas can sitting in the engine compartment to the fuel pump. The fuel pump still seems not to be working.
12-00-98 I go into town and buy a fuel pump. (There goes the grocery money again!) When I arrive home, I'm too weak to take it around to the back. I leave it near the front door, intending to tell my neighbor it's there. For hours I huddle on the garage floor again, too weak to move. Finally, I make it into the kitchen, where I feed the pets, and enjoy the warmth. Over my protests, my friend has paid my heating bill, so I am not always cold.
12-21-98 Council meeting is scheduled for tonight, but we have such bad weather businesses and schools are closed. City hall says there will be no council meeting. There is. Neither I nor the local reporter is present. The ordinance is passed. No one knows it has passed.
12-00-98 Legal professional says these people are just too good. "This ordinance is just too good to be the work of someone who doesn't know what he's doing and is just copying other ordinances." he says. He tells me he is not going to talk with me any more. Further, if I ever try to quote him, he will deny it. I wonder how in the world they got to him. A friend rationalizes that he just got tired of this.
12-00-98 The 78 Ford T-Bird, my driver, is running very funny. I make it into town to wonderful mechanic who will listen to it, and give me suggestions - and not charge me. "No charge for listening," he always says. He is out to lunch, on a service call. Finally, one of the other mechanics comes out, listens to engine, says, "Might try changing spark plugs."
Drive back to Canyonville, buy spark plugs. As I'm struggling to open the hood, my neighbor comes over, lifts the hood, then tells me I have the wrong spark plugs. He would help me, and but has an appointment. Back to the parts house.
Back home I struggle to lift the hood again. Finally I manage to get on the bumper, get my back under the hood, and lift it. Darn this being sick!
The spark plug socket is the wrong size!!!! Doesn't anything fit anything else!?!? Back to the parts house. Spend the last of the grocery money. Back home and struggle to lift the hood again. Three of the spark plug wires and spark plugs are only finger tight. But I'd better replace all of them. I remember someone telling me that. I cannot hold onto the wrench. It keeps falling. Twice I have to get down out of the engine compartment, crawl under the car, get the wrench, and crawl back into the engine compartment. I bark my knuckles, the wrench become bloody and slippery. I drop it again. I can't even tape the wrench to my hand because I have to keep shifting it! If I weren't so tired, I'd be furious.
It starts to rain. I CANNOT get three of the wires off. I am getting fuzzy. I can't remember which way to turn the wrench. My other neighbor comes over to see what is taking me so long under the hood. Wonderful person! He changes the last three, and tells me to get inside, out of the cold and wet.
I get inside the garage, but my body finally quits. No mental flogging works. I collapse on the concrete. Occasionally I shiver. This is dangerous. I crawl into the laundry room, pull some blankets around me. I'm greasy and oily. Now I will have to wash these blankets again! The pain starts in earnest. It's a deep, dull ache that feels like someone has beaten my ribs and lower back with a belt. It spreads into my shoulders and knees.
My doctor tells me not to over extend myself. Well, if I had stopped, I'd be down about three days, too weak to move, but with little pain. Then, after finishing the spark plugs, I'd be down for another three days. Now I will hurt - badly - but at least the job is done with a cost of only three days down.
Later I crawl into the kitchen, feed the pets. They are concerned, even forgetting to eat, as they crow around me, snuggling and trying to make me feel better. For three days I huddle on the floor, moving only to feed the pets. If I were a horse I'd be allowed to shoot myself.
12-00-98 A friend looks at the spark plugs, tells me that if they were only finger tight -(finger tight for me being LOOSE), then someone loosened them. Friend loans me money to get on internet, get help for me and the other victims.
12-29-98 A friend, who is a poor as I, gives me some left over Halloween candy for a late Christmas. My sweet tooth gibbers happily.
1-4-99 City administrator claims he snuck onto property and took pictures.
1-5-99 Sheriff issues citation, setting court date 1-20-99. He shows me ordinance, which was passed at the 12-21-98 meeting which was supposedly called on account of weather. Young legal professional says, "They can't do this." An awfully lot of people seem to be saying, "They can't do this!" But they're doing it.
1-5-99 Get on the internet, contacting civil rights organizations, and others.
1-00-99 The trial on the citation is set for 5pm. I get a 3am phone call telling me I'm going to jail when I show up for citation, then they are going to take my cars and my home while I'm in jail unless I'm "reasonable." They say no one is going to help me because the only ones who could were "bought and paid for."
1-00-99 I am desperate for money. A friend helps me get the pick up truck running again. I am unable to pay for a newspaper ad, so we place ads at the super market and other places. I start the truck almost daily to make certain it's still running. It is. A person expresses an interest, and makes an appointment to see it. He comes out. The pick up does not start. I am incredibly despondent.
1-11-98 I have not been sleeping. Threatening phone calls wake me, and, because of the chronic fatigue pain, I cannot get back to sleep. I am sleep deprived, dysfunctional. I discover I put the milk in the oven, instead of the refrigerator. I am practically living on milk. I can't afford to buy more. There is nothing else in the house to eat - except pet food, and I'm saving it for them.
I am enraged at my weak body. I realize I'm going crazy, I go to Mental Health. Intake Specialist seems to think I do have problems. Arranges for me to meet with therapist.
1-12-99. 1am. The water pipes suddenly rattle, startling me. Mad, I run outside. I see a shadowy form moving around the side of the house. Stupidly, I run after him, shouting. He's waiting for me. Something hits me on the head, and I go down, into trees. A branch cuts my head open. I try to get up again, fall down again. I sit there, muddy, bloody, in the rain. I realize my clothes are covered with blood, possibly ruined. For the first time, for the stupidest reason, I cry. I sit in the yard, in the rain, and bawl. Then I get up, find that sledge hammer, and put it next to the door. Never mind I'm not strong enough to swing it, at least I can carry it!
1-13-99 The District Attorney's office tells me that the judge must give me a public defender because this is a criminal matter, and jail time is possible. The Public Defender's Office says I must have the judge assign them to me.
1-13-99 I see the judge. She said she wouldn't give me jail time unless it was matter of contempt, so she won't give me a public defender, period. She also says I can have only three cars. I simply have too many cars. I'm a single woman, by myself, and I can have only three cars, running or not. Period. It doesn't make any difference if I have a thousand witness who can testify they are running. I can only have three cars. Never mind abut the people down the street who have ten dead cars, each case is different, and no one has complained abut them, so there. But I can keep my Challengers, and my Ford T-Bird. I can't keep the Ford pick up, which is my other driver. (When it's running. With these old cars, everyone needs two - one to run and one to fix.)
1-13-99 It's dark when I hear someone stumbling around in my back yard, close to my cars. Grabbing the sledge hammer (and hardly able to carry it), I confront the city tow truck driver. "The city's sent me to tow these off," he tells me. "Hey, wait a minute," I yelp, "The judge said I could keep them!"
"Yep, that's on the criminal citation. That's just to keep you from going to jail." he says. "The city is taking these two, and we're going to charge you for towing them off." He looked up at my old house and said,"We ain't even going to get enough out of your house to pay the tow charges." I hefted the sledge hammer, and told him to leave. He yipped and scrambled off, afraid of a sick old woman so weak she had to lean against a post to keep from falling down.
I slump down onto the ground. It's been a long day for me, and I'm very weak. I'm also very frightened. I try to think what to do.
I remember. A legal professional has said that, if it were legal for them to take the vehicles, they'd have a court order, and a law enforcement officer with them. However, if they can sneak onto my property, and take the cars, there's nothing I can do. To get them back, I'd have to get the court order, and law enforcement officer to get them back. And by that time they would have been sold for "junk" - and no records kept.
Well, I know these slime run off my property when I challenge them. They won't take my cars if I go out and "threaten" them.
I clear a space in the garage where I can lean up against the window and keep watch. It's cold in the garage, but I have plenty of blankets. Later, I crawl into the kitchen, and feed my pets. There's only rice to eat, but I'm too weak to cook. I stir some rice in a cup of hot tap water, and eat it. After all, birds get along fine on raw rice.
It's warm in the kitchen, but I know I'm too weak to get from the kitchen to the back yard in time to stop these slime. I go back to the garage, my blankets, and wait.
The phone rings. And rings. I turn it off, then, afraid that it might be an important, I turn it back on.
Days pass. Everyone knows narcoleptics fall asleep at when we shouldn't. What isn't so well know is that we can't GO TO SLEEP when we should, and we can't get back to sleep when we're awakened. It seems every time I start to doze, the phone rings, and awakens me. I hate myself for being sick.
Slowly, I recover some strength. I arrange to get on-line, type up a plea for help. I type a word, rest, type a word, rest. I manage to cook a few cups of rice.
1-23-98 I send E-mails to a number of property rights/ civil rights organizations. I receive encouragement, and suggestions as to other organizations to contact.
1-24-99 Journalist contacts me for more information. He says, "This ordinance was passed for no honest reason. Communities take care of their people, they don't steal from them." I give him names and phone numbers of people who might talk with him, as well as phone numbers for city hall, the mayor, the judge, and officials in other cities.
1-24-99 Receive wonderfully supportive e-mail from new friends on the net.
1-26-99 6AM. Medical professional, who learned of this situation via a very round-about way, calls. She wants more information. She thinks older woman in Cottage Grove area (about 100 miles north of Canyonville) may also be a victim.
1-27-99 Feeling well enough to leave the house. I've lost weight. Again. My clothes don't fit. Again.
1-27-99 I go to city hall to pay my water bill. As I'm waiting for them to find my water bill, I listen as the city administrator gives someone the runaround about a proposed development. I catch him, as he steams out of city hall. He tells me he's a developer, and has been trying to learn what the city requires in the way of street development. He's successfully gotten the proposed land re-zoned, but now, suddenly, city hall is uncooperative. He's been referred to Roseburg, (a city north, who does some inspection and other work) for Canyonville. They have referred him back to Canyonville, who simply refuses to answer questions regarding the next step in development. (I don't realize the significance of what he's saying.)
I mention my problems with the city. After he says, as everyone else says, "They can't do that!" he takes me around back of city hall, and shows me an old fire truck, with black berries growing up through it. It breaks my heart to see it just sitting there, deteriorating.
He them points out the city's grader sitting a few hundred feet away. It is pretty much a pile of rust.
1-27-99 I splurge, and get a hamburger from Burger King.
1-27-99 I go by the post office and pick up a letter from the Defenders of Property Rights. It has an impressive return address. It's post marked 1-15-99. There is also a letter from the Judge, postmarked 1-15-99, asking me to come in.
1-27-98 I go to the Justice court, ask to speak with the Judge. As I sit there, waiting for her to see me, I deeply regret that hamburger. My stomach is screaming, and I'm afraid I'm going to be sick. As I sit there, I wonder if this is a ploy to get me away from the house so they can take my cars. My neighbor is watching, but he's not going to threaten anyone with a sledge hammer - probably. But he will call me if anyone shows up. Won't he? Maybe they won't let him! Will these people even tell me if he calls? Should I leave right now? They have had time to tear down the fence by now! But if I leave right now, maybe I can catch them fore they get on the freeway.
Before I panic and dash off to protect my cars, the judge calls me into her office. She talks about how this is a small town, how we all have to learn to compromise. She said she'd learned the complaint is only about the vehicles in the back yard. She talked with the city, and the city tow truck will move my cars into the front yard. If I can clean out my garage, the city can put one of the them inside. Perhaps I can make a garden shed type building for the other. She says she will mediate a meeting among all the parties and effect a compromise. She said that she told the city administrator that not everyone is going to be happy, but a compromise is going to be made, and everyone is going to live with it. She says she is going to settle this before she has to put on her black robes and make it official.
She schedules the meeting for March 3, 1999.
1-27-99 I am ecstatic for all of 90 seconds. I realize I might be off the hook, but that doesn't mean others arn't going to lose their property. Previously a journalists said to me, "Why are they still bothering you? They let go when the pig starts squealing. They have to do this quietly, in the dark. They avoid attention like cockroaches scurry from light." I squealed, they let me go.
1-27-98 Now, as I'm in the garage, considering cleaning it out, almost everything reminds me of my husband. I realize there are other victims who are going to be losing things that are terribly important to them. I make the decision to continue this fight. I will not shut up. Suddenly I have rush to the bathroom, where my stomach empties itself. I collapse on the bathroom floor, cold, clammy, shaking, wondering if I'm having a heart attack. No such luck.
1-28-99 I write the squealing pig e-mail, letting my net-friends know the fight is still on.
1-29-99 The phone rings at 4am. An incredibly vicious voice tells me that either I behave myself, or they will make an example of me. They will not only take my cars, they will take my house, everything I own, every penny I have, and every cent I ever get. This is the last phone call for almost a month.
1-29-99 I meet with my therapist at Mental Health. She is very supportive. If I weren't a little crazy, I'd be nuts, considering what I've been going through.
1-29-99 Friend offers money to buy building material to made building, and offers to help build it, but it rains constantly, and we don't have a chance to do so. (Later Friend says maybe intent is to make me spend money I don't have to build a building they will disallow.)
2-00-99 Friend shows up with food! She sniffs my rice, and heads for the back yard, and the birds. When I protest I might need it later, she says, "I'll get you some that doesn't come from a WWII stock pile," and ceremoniously scatters it for the birds.
2-00-99 I rather make a pig of myself, eating real food. The pets gather around, wondering if this means they'll be able to start begging at the table again. It's been so long they've almost forgotten how - but they learn fast!
2-00-99 Still no threatening phone calls. I'm getting sleep, eating, and starting to feel much better.
2-12-99 Sarah Foster, reporter for the World Net Daily calls me. I tell my story, and give her names and phone numbers of neighbors, ex-mayor, reporter from the local paper.
2-12-99 My computer crashes. Unbeknownst to me, my phone is off the hook. No one can call me, they get a busy signal.
2-00-99 A home health/social worker calls for more information. She is suspicious of activities in the Grants Pass area (About 50 miles south of Canyonville.)
2-00-99 Unable to pay for help, I dive into my computer, and try to get it running again.
2-00-99 I talk with both health/social workers, trying to convince them to convince their clients to come forward. They said their clients' mental health is too fragile, they will not urge them to become involved. But they will not forget this, and if they encounter someone who can come forward, they will have them contact me.
2-24?-99 I am stunned when the City Hall "Recorder" calls to remind me my water bill is due. Previously, I've not received a water bill, forgotten about it, and they have disconnected the water with no warning. I ask for a few days, and, surprisingly, she agrees not to disconnect the water yet.
2-00-99 There still no threatening calls. This is wonderful! I'm starting to feel like a human being! Wow! I'm sleeping, I'm eating! This is incredible!
2-00-99 Journalist calls. I tell him what has happened. He says that good news isn't that news worthy. He says he may attend the March 3, 1999 hearing because there may be a story in the judge. Sounds like she's a spiritual descendant of Judge Roy Bean, the hanging judge, who didn't take anything off any one. He asks me to make certain this is not going to a closed hearing. He just might make it. I give him directions to Canyonville.
2-00-99 I check with the judge. She's rather unfriendly, I attribute it to a bad day. She says this will not be a closed hearing.
3-3-98 City administrator claims he snuck onto property again, and "inspected" the vehicles. Everything is still the same.
3-3-99 The Meeting! After we are all appear, the judge appears, in her black robes, and leads us into a court room where she mounts the bench. I am starting to worry. She swears us in. I worry more. When she says this hearing is to determine if I have violated the city ordinance, I ask if I can have an attorney. She says flatly she is not going to provide me with an attorney. Remembering that everyone has said she HAS to provide me with an attorney if she is going to try this matter, and she is calling this a hearing, I shut up. The Complainer, the city administrator, and the city recorder is there. The judge asks them for their testimony. Then she asks me if I have any questions of them. This is starting to seem more and more like a trial to me, and I'm terrified. Can she suddenly find me guilty, and send me to jail? I remember the last threatening phone call I received. I remember the phone call saying they were going to try me at 5 o'clock so they could put me in jail when it would be too late for me to contact anyone. I am not a fast thinker under stress. In fact, I can be downright stupid. That's one of the reasons they picked me as a victim. My mind is chasing itself in circles and I don't know what to do.
She tells me what to do. She tells me to get rid of all my cars by March 17th. Period. When I protest that some are running, she says that doesn't make any difference.
As I leave, I am still uncertain what happened. They SAID she had to give me an attorney. She SAID we were going to compromise, and I could keep my vehicles. I was ready to tell her I had a friend who would help me put up two garden sheds as soon as it stopped raining.
3-3-99 I come home, and not expecting anything to work, turn on my old computer. It works! It goes into Windows - and it doesn't reboot five seconds later! Wow! One thing is going right!
3-9-99 As I'm leaving the house, neighbor comes up and asks me if I'd like to get even with the Complainer. Striving to keep from salivating in my eagerness, I say, "Yes." "Well, his dog is loose, and if you report them to animal control, they'll give him a ticket."
Darn it! I am very disappointed. I can't do that, he'd likely do something to the dog, and the dog is as innocent a victim of him as I am. He keeps the dog penned up in a small run in his back yard. Occasionally, Bo gets out. Occasionally, I've taken him back, and reluctantly put him in his tiny run, apologizing profusely, explaining to him that the animal control people will take him to the pound, and might kill him if his owner doesn't show up to bail him out. He seems to understand.
Today, however, I am late for my appointment with my therapist, and I can't catch him. My neighbor says she will try to catch him and put him back. If she can't, she'll keep calling the Complainer until he goes out and catches him.
3-10-99 A person who said he was never going to talk with me again calls.
"Da** it lady, you're going to end up dead. They don't give a damn about your cars. They're just a means to an end. They really want to shut you up before you can expose their plans to grab property. It's a good thing they're "white collar" crooks, and probably working through puppets, or you'd be dead now.
"Look at that ordinance. It doesn't do a darn thing to the vehicle owner. Nothing. Nada. Only the property owner is fined. Only the property owner has liens placed on this property.
"According to the ordinance, the "agent" disposes of the "abandoned" vehicle for "junk." He doesn't have to tell anyone who he sold it to, how much he got for it, or what he did with the money. He can even give it away, or keep it himself. The money or the car or both. So you think it's about vehicles. It isn't. It means there's no record of the vehicle/owner who caused the lien attachment on the property. Here's a person who causes lien foreclosure of a piece of property, no one knows who he is, and there are no records of him. THERE IS NO RECOURSE FOR THE PROPERTY OWNER.
"This is not about cars, it's about property. Look at what has happened in your town. The new administration raised "development" fees from $2,300 to $6,000. People who were planning to build changed their minds. Their vacant lots are just sitting there. They can't even sell them because property values have plummeted because of the increased fees.
If someone moves an "inoperable" camper or trailer onto their property and the city files liens, they may not even argue if they find out the city has taken their property. Especially if they're threatened with jail time if they argue.
"You know at least one developer has been to city hall numerous times, trying to find out how to start developing some property. Each time he's sent on a time wasting, money wasting run around. There are probably other developers getting the run around also. Think they're not going to give up and go some place a little more friendly to developers?
"You also know a local developer, in the process of building, has friends and relatives on the city council.
"There's a shortage of moderate income housing in your town. People working for the casino and convention center have to live 30 miles away. If, as it's rumored, another large recreational development comes in, there are going to be hundreds more people working in Canyonville, needing housing.
"How much money will someone make if they can buy at lien sale for $30.00 forfeited property? Even if they don't develop it themselves, they stand to make a lot of money selling it to developers.
"I admire your courage, Lady, but I don't admire your brains. If you don't shut up, they're going to shut you up. You don't believe me? Look around. How many friends do you have left? What do they say when someone asks them why they're not helping you any more? They say you're just a crazy old lady who doesn't know what she's talking about.
"You need someone who's not afraid of physical threats to help you. You're not going to find anyone. There are plenty of people who are willing to fight in the courts, but you threaten them, and you see how fast they find a good reason to quit the fight.
"Give it up, and stay alive. At least you'll still have your life."
End of chronology as of March 10, 1999.
Sheila added the following:
Winston Churchill said, "If you will not fight when you can easily win without bloodshed; if you will not fight when your victory is sure and not too costly; you may come to a moment when you will have to fight with all the odds against you and only a precarious chance of survival. There may even be a worse case. You may have to fight when there is no hope of victory, because it is better to perish than to live as slaves."