You want to feel sorry for Lyle Barkley, you want to help him, and a lot
of good people do. But you gotta think, this is a guy who creates his
own chaos.
Do you remember Lyle Barkley? In the summer of 2002, he
had asked for a zoning permit to enlarge his two mobile homes, and got
it from the township. He lost it again after the zoning administrator
realized the additions were mobile homes and too narrow by four feet.
Barkley was outraged. After a court ruling in September of 2003 that
permitted seizure of his homes, he called on national and Michigan
militias to defend his property rights. An aura of violence hung over
the Barkley spread as he made bold threats to defend his homes by force,
if necessary. It could have been Waco or Ruby Ridge, Northern Michigan
style. The situation seemed one mistaken shot away from tragedy. Yet it
ended in a peaceful sunrise meeting with the sheriff.
The township is poised again to seize his trailers, but the supervisor can’t find anyone to do the job.
And
last week, Barkely filed a $100 million lien against Charlevoix County
and county commissioners, and another $100 million lien against Bay
Township and township trustees. His daughter filed identical liens
against the same parties.
It’s a move that could land them in prison for three years.
Lyle
Barkley knows this, but said the lien was filed for the “damages they
caused me and for taking the life of my wife,” who died of a heart
attack on Valentine’s Day this past year.
The liens include a litany
of what they’ve suffered in this dispute. The fact they couldn’t get a
jury trial. The fact they couldn’t build a handicapped ramp for Lyle’s
wife, Shirley. Their constant fear of losing their property.
There’s a
saying, “Bad facts make bad law.” Reviewing the facts of the Lyle
Barkley case, from the viewpoint of elected officials and attorneys and
administrators, the old saying seems truer than ever. The law may bury
Lyle Barkley, and there are some good people who think that is bad.
READ MORE:http://www.northernexpress.com/michigan/article-2776-fighting-for-homelyle-barkley.html
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