UPDATE April 6, 1999 The trucks and cars have been moved to temporary storage where they are safe for the time being. The item below will be revised as soon as I find that "round to-it". In the meanwhile, it is maintained here for the contact information. See Sheila's chronology updates for the ongoing saga. Steve Washam sew@valint.net ----------------------------------------------------------- Please help an older lady in distress. Sheila Smith of Canyonville, Oregon has a March 17, 1999 deadline to get her vehicles moved. The judge has said that it doesn't matter now whether she can get them running or not, she has to give them up. She has been convicted of having "inoperable" vehicles on her property and now she must pay the cost. After the vehicles are towed away and disposed of as "junk", a lien -- with accruing interest -- will be placed on her property for the tow charges. Never mind that these vehicles are neither "junk" nor "abandoned." Fines and jail time are possible too if she doesn't quickly get in line and hand over her property. As I began writing this Sheila said she was not doing well, having a bout of narcolepsy. She had been trying to unpack her many possessions from the box van which is soon to be seized by the City. But she was too tired and "fuzzy," as she put it, to go on working, or doing much else. Four vehicles -- a 65 Ford 1 1/2 ton flat bed, a 63 Chevy box van, and two Dodge Challengers -- are slated to be towed. At least one of the Challengers may have been moved to temporary safety by now. But the bigger rigs are definitely a problem. This is what they need as far as we know: Sheila writes: John Henry, the flat bed, has a tired engine, but he just needs a master cylinder and battery, and, now, some coaxing to start. My husband last started him right before he died. The box van, Lenny, just needs a battery, and coaxing. He also started right before my husband died. His engine is tired also, but not as much as John Henry's. But I simply haven't been able to get them started, no money for batteries, for one thing, and my neighbor, who has been helping, hasn't had the time to work on all of them. And, also, I think he's been a bit discouraged, we'd get something running, and it would be sabotaged. Like the pick up. It was running, then we found water in the oil, and it was hard for me to find the money to get the oil, but I did, and changed it. Now it won't start. . . Sheila has been asking for help and wants her contact information made available on the net. Sheila Smith PO Box 530 Canyonville, OR 97417 541-839-4085 sheila@tymewyse.com Some people might have holiday plans for March 17, which is "St. Patrick's Day." It will be a hard day for Sheila though. What are you doing that day? Are you in a position to buy a truck? Help repair one to make it saleable? Have storage space in the area? This lady needs some help. If you don't know what this is about see for lots of ugly details. Oh -- Sheila wasn't asking for THIS kind of help. That's my idea. Sheila wants the car theft racket in Canyonville stopped before any more innocent poor folks get robbed. You can read about other victims on the web page above, as well as other ideas about how to stop the injustice. Please pass this message along to someone who might care. Thanks for listening. Steve Washam sew@valint.net ---------------------------------------------------------- Sheila is making the following request to encourage a legal heavyweight into the fray. Sheila wrote: Date: Tue, 09 Mar 1999 00:09:26 -080o From: sheila [except from end of longer post] William Perry Pendley, president and chief legal officer of Mountain States Legal Foundation, has an awesome success rate in combating civil and property rights abuses. He's argued, and won, before the US Supreme Court. He's filed suits against public officials, including the President of the United States. He also filed an appeal of a $75.00 fine, so he hasn't lost touch with 'the little people.' I'm asking him to help us. I'm asking you to help persuade him to take this case. Send an e-mail to him at pendley@mslf.net Just say, "Save the old ladies' cars! Take the case!" Help finance the case! Stick a five dollar bill in an envelope (even an old one - scratch off the old address) and mail it to: Mountain States Legal Foundation 707 Seventeenth Street Suite 3030 Denver, CO 80202 Even a single dollar bill will help! But, please, send those e-mails! Because we either stop this or they will be encouraged to go after, not just helpless little old ladies, but the rest of us. And if you have any suggestions, or ideas, or comments, please e-mail me. Warm fuzzy cyber hugs are welcome too. Because I'm not scared, I'm TERRIFIED!!! Sheila Smith 541-839-4085 PO Box 530 Canyonville, OR 97417 -- end of Sheila's mail -- ------------------------------------------------------------ Other ideas: You might want to contact the Canyonville City Hall and ask why they are treating a poor old lady this way. Canyonville City Hall Tel: 541-839-4258 Fax: 541-839-4680 Mayor: Gloria McGinnis City Administrator: Larry Andrew You could ask for a copy of Canyonville Municipal Code Chapter 8.24 as amended by Ordinance No. 547 (12/21/98) so you can see for yourself if it is really as bad as people say it is. Carol Roberts, the Justice of the Peace who convicted Sheila and ordered four vehicles moved -- even if she can get them running -- divides her time between the Canyonville and Riddle (541-832-2101) courts. Canyonville Justice Court Tel: 541-839-4389 Fax: 541-839-4318 ----------------------------------------------------------- Does anybody know how it is possible for an Oregon city to evade the provisions of this law: Oregon Revised Statutes Chapter 819 Destroyed, Totaled, Abandoned and Stolen Vehicles; Vehicle Identification Numbers ----------------------------------------------------------- PLEASE FORWARD THIS MESSAGE!