Ashley Marie's Blog
Legal Theft
This thread contains information surrounding the destruction of property and theft that took place on Jim's property in Vinton, Iowa. The chief of police saw the opportunity he'd been waiting for and carried out his agenda against us to destroy everything we had built. The disapproving neighbor was encouraged to continue spying on us all hours of the day and night; her derogatory slurs and ignorant comments offered to the court as factual "documentation our activity." I have intentionally avoided identifying individual's that were not named in the public records of this incident for their protection...
And to prevent adding to the roadblocks we face in the future as we seek justice.
Legal Theft: Welcome to Vinton
9/10/2021
Current events all around the world are scary. The increasing tension is palpable as governments step in to steal children from anti-vax parents and mandates are being passed to restrict our freedoms even further. The progression to an Orwellian society is coming along nicely for those that designed it this way. It never ceases to amaze me how easily the general public is coerced into submission with psychological and sociological manipulation, namely exploiting our human fears with alleged threats to our health and well-being. Amplified by the division between neighbors and the very American "us versus them" mentality, mob-style tactics have infiltrated even our small town governments. I have known for years that the city I live in is corrupt. I have witnessed many injustices here, and I too am guilty of passive acquiescence, but I was not prepared for the heartless and vindictive acts carried out against us.
Credit given to Markku Tapio Tuomola for including this picture in a Tweet posted on July 14, 2021
It has been over two months since the city of Vinton trespassed on Jim's property to destroy our belongings and bury what they didn't haul away under the pretense of 'abating a nuisance.' Legal theft, since they presented faulty evidence and statements from a neighbor (not hearsay because they don't take into account the motivations or subjectivity of the person making statements) and obtained an order in which everything we owned was labeled as 'junk.'
We continue to recover items that were buried at the property during the abatement. Spray paint cans, tools, books, shoes, trash, debris from their destruction... you name it. I find their carelessness both disgusting and ironic, considering it was their concern over public health that prompted these acts of tyranny.
Sadly, friends that have shown public support of our situation have been subject to increased monitoring and are obviously being targeted in retaliation. Similarly, Jim became a target of the department after defending a friend through their own abatement process that was carried out illegally and in direct violation of the abatement order from a Benton County Judge.
We have yet to get an answer to the email I sent inquiring about our belongings. Every attempt to communicate with the appropriate people has resulted in a wild goose chase to the point that Jim has given up hope on reclaiming our things. I am not so easily deterred.
It would be one thing if they had simply taken steps to remove the alleged junk. However the obvious malicious intent, stealing Jim's TOOLS and sentimental antiquities inherited from his father, unnecessarily removing items such as my grandmother's bird feeders and the kids' play equipment, destroying flower and garden beds, damaging trees, and the wake of destruction they left behind that poses serious environmental concerns... these actions demand attention!
Reports made to state and federal agencies are in progress, but the deadline for retrieving our belongings from the panel van is quickly approaching. City officials and the Vinton Police Department failed to follow through with notifying us of its location and conditions for release per code section 321.89 regarding "abandoned vehicles." Jim had to contact several salvage and tow yards before he was able to figure out who had it. Calls made to the salvage yard that is currently housing it have been directed to local law enforcement, to which we have not received a response.
Today, while further researching state code regarding abatement and disposition of personal property procedures, I found the code section that clearly states that we have met the conditions for retrieving our personal property from the agency that seized it. I submitted a form online to the state auditor regarding my concerns over the city's spending and questionable practices in relation to the road reconstruction, and also included a brief discussion of our situation in order to request help from the appropriate party. Hopefully we hear something soon. It is about time that these elected and appointed officials are held accountable for openly abusing the power of their position.
Legal Theft: The Aftermath II
7/15/2021
I took a ride over to the lot today, to see what the heavy storms did to the giant mud puddle of a yard. Jim had done some digging since the last time I was there. The fresh pile of dirt and collection of broken belongings tossed aside revealed what I had suspected. We had a pretty large collection of spray paint that was sitting underneath the bread truck, and Jim uncovered a couple cans already. I avoided that area and began picking things out of the mud: a couple wrenches, some hammers, a ratchet. The rain had washed a layer of dirt down the hill, and the remnants of our extensive rock collection poked through the surface. Bits of broken glass, terra cotta, and ceramic littered the ground everywhere. Several small bottles of acrylic paint had been added to the pile we recovered the other day.
Photos taken 7/15/2021
Legal Theft: The Aftermath I
7/11/2021
We have had some interesting new information come up this week. They decided to make an example of us, and have started issuing letters to property owners all over town. A nice attempt at covering up the personal attacks and targeting of any individuals that have shown up support. Pushing an agenda where the subjective opinion of others decides the use of one's personal property.... slippery slope my friends. And where does it end? Not pretty.... but our hands are tied and we are watching intently.
I sense that many of you have reached out to your networks and stern conversations have been had. I have hope that those responsible will be rewarded in kind, but recent history for another Vinton couple is not promising news for us. I can not imagine being put through this ordeal TWICE, and then slapped in the face again with a HUGE BILL for the inconvenience.
Six Things I Know For Sure
What is going on around here? I have my suspicions, but I don't know for sure. Here are SIX THINGS I do know for sure about this whole ordeal:
1- We have THE BEST friends!
Thank you so much for reaching out with kind words, for forwarding the link and sharing our story, and for voicing your outrage at our plight. During this process, we were made to feel unwelcome on Jim's own property. The negative energy swarmed us like a plague of locusts. Looking around at it today, it's like a nightmare we can't wake up from. It is humbling to know how many people are paying attention across the distance our story has traveled. It is also reassuring that while we did have tons of work to do, most are in agreement that the action taken by the city was unwarranted, and quite possibly illegal. Our joint efforts could result in the return of some of our things- whatever they didn't "destroy and haul away to the dump." Perhaps they finally crossed the line and their selective harassment and targeting has hit the right combination of people to expose the BS and push us all to make REAL LASTING CHANGES!! A girl can dream...
2- There is still so much GOOD in the world!
Requests for a list of items we need to get back on our feet have come from many different people and groups all over... And that's difficult; neither of us enjoy asking for help. Your generosity, kindness, and reassurance has made this a little easier to take. The dust still hasn't settled, and I have a feeling this isn't over.
3- We are still in shock over our losses.
Wandering, feeling lost, and grieving are the resounding themes in our life right now. Reminders of things we had at the lot keep popping into our heads, and another wave of searing pain hits hard. We numbly share the new item for the list out loud, and share in collective silence and sadness for a moment before moving on. Its almost like a game.... only there are no points or prizes, and each time it means yet another beloved gift, project, book, tool, souvenir from an memorable adventure, collected materials and pieces of our past and our future are GONE! Stolen by the people that should be expected to help us, as elected officials. It's disheartening. We are figuring up the total monetary value as we go- around $80,000 so far!! The biggest losses are the many items taken from us had sentimental value. Things inherited from Jim's dad Pat, Grandpa Chuck, things that belonged to our children, pictures, rare finds we came across and fell in love with... Items that were irreplaceable and invaluable. I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy. I can't even fathom doing this to another person. I wonder if they feel any remorse in the aftermath. I wonder if they are enjoying the pain they worked so hard to unleash upon us.
4- City Officials Wouldn't Get Their Hands Dirty
We learned today that city officials enlisted high school age kids on the Vinton Parks and Rec Summer crew to do their dirty work... to do their dirty work. That's right, they didn't want to get their hands dirty.... they made KIDS do this. I was told that several were not comfortable with this assignment and hesitated to tell others what they were made to do. These kids know Jim's kids. Some of them had spent quite a bit of time on the lot, enjoying the play equipment and fun atmosphere Jim built. Judging from the comments I have read, many kids around the community looked at the lot as a refuge to escape from the real world. I can only imagine the inner turmoil these kids felt when they heard about Jim's son and his friends going to the city office to ask why this happened, "no one was available to speak with them."
For the record, we aren't upset with the kids that worked as agents of the city that day AT ALL. We lay blame solely with the individuals that spearheaded this campaign against us and brought others into it without considering the ripple effects. This decision by our city leaders demonstrates their POOR JUDGEMENT AND NEGLIGENT DISREGARD for the mental well-being of those kids, but also placed them directly at risk for physical harm because....
5- The Lot Is An Absolute Disaster Zone
There is broken glass, splintered wood, and metal shards EVERYWHERE in the dirt. Several small squeeze bottles of acrylic paint from my large collection have been recovered all over buried in the yard. We have not been given more details, so I am not sure how the crew handled "abatement". There are more questions than answers at this point...
Were the kids instructed to bury debris after the tipis and our belongings were destroyed?
Were they offered training or instruction on proper protocol for abatement?
Was there an adult was supervising the cleanup to ensure the judge's order was followed and performed in accordance with state regulations?
- or-
Was the group left unattended without care for the quality and efficiency of their work?
6- This is a hate crime disguised as justice.
The "nuisances" on our property that city officials were so adamantly concerned about, stating they created a "threat to the health and safety of our citizens..." That is a rather convenient pretense for carrying out and justifying what was essentially a hate crime. Especially considering what they removed from the property and what we later found out had never left...
Buried Treasures
Jim had installed a 5x12 foot bike ramp in the hill 3 years earlier and over the years he built a root cellar branching underground from the tipi... both were filled in. Sticking up through the fresh dirt, fragments of broken wood and items from inside the tipis are clearly visible. Looking across the top lot and down the hill at the full yard, about half the yard is destroy with large ruts left from the dump trucks. At least a third of the property is torn up and there is dead plants that appear to have been pulled out the ground by hand. Areas where we tilled and planted newly established seedlings are now overrun with tire tread and loose dirt. Where the hill once had the erosion preventative benefits of grass, exposed earth is now strewn with shatter pieces of our lives.
A quick review of the paperwork trail shows that the newly appointed Code Enforcer and other city officials denied our administrative appeal, in order to push the issue through to the courtroom and so they could avoid public discussion at a council meeting. They seem to have been pretty confident that they could easily obtain an order in their favor using outdated photographs and HEARSAY "documentation of our activities." They knew full well that we are struggling and homeless (by legal definition), and instead of working with us, they pushed for the maximum $6500 fines and the potential to hand us another bill for the abatement. Our city officials do not care that they have caused us a great deal of unnecessary pain and anxiety, destroyed what little we had to build a future with.... and BURIED IT IN OUR YARD!
No Response
I premiered my article about the lot on Monday, July 4, 2021 after careful consideration for wording and editing it the entire holiday weekend. I had discussed the first blog post in this series with several friends and promoted the link on my social media. Jim and I did not try to go back to the lot until Wednesday afternoon, and that's when we noticed the boat had been returned to the lot. We are not sure what lead them to release the boat. We do know the Code Enforcer sent multiple letters about "potential threats to the health and wellness of the community" and made the mistake of sending one to the wrong people. The popular couple were thwarted in their attempt to confront city leaders at the Council Meeting, so the husband confronted Blake Hansen in the City Office the very next day. Blake reported to him that vehicles do not have to be licensed, registered, or insured in order to be safe from seizure. Right when I heard this news, I promptly sent an email to Blake, the mayor, the chief of police, and the family friend serving on the City Council, and reiterated that point back to them and inquired when Jim's bread truck will be returned to the lot. Again, all parties checked my message the day it was received 7/10/2021, but I have yet to receive a response. I will try again tomorrow. Hopefully we will get it back soon, along with our belongings left inside.
*UPDATE: We have not had anything returned to us. I have yet to hear any response to my email. Instead, we have received new abatement notices citing the unmowed grass as a violation. To which we have not responded. I'm not sure how they expect us to mow when they left huge craters and trenches with the equipment they used and they stole Jim's lawnmowers. Two antique rotary wheel push mowers (inherited from his dad), one gas-powered push mower, and one John Deere model 72 riding lawn mower to be exact.
Legal Theft: Allegations & Abatement
7/1/2021 Updated 7/6/2021
Turns out legal theft is a real thing, especially here in Vinton, Iowa. I have been living back in this small town since I came to live with and care for my grandfather last August. TWICE now I have been the victim of legal theft (Who TF Steals Someone's Kittens?) seemingly endorsed by the police and those in positions of authority that are supposed to work FOR the public. That's how it is supposed to be, right? I could write an entire doctoral thesis on the corruption that has come to pass in this town just since my return but for now I will focus on what they have done to my boyfriend Jim and me. The fact that the people involved are pleased with themselves and probably patting each other on the back is sickening to me. This entire situation is a clear example of cultural bias, prejudice, and class warfare.
Before....
The collage below contains pictures I shot of Jim's property earlier this spring with details provided in the captions above and below. This hill already had serious issues with erosion and water run off. We were working to combat the erosion with strategically planted prairie grasses and medicinal herbs that were just starting to take hold, had been in contact with The River Network organization about their Project Rain Barrel and other recommendations for the water run off. Nature and conservation are a passion for Jim and me. We were doing our part by focusing on restoring a more natural riverside ecosystem and by recycling and upcycling used materials. Our plans required time to thoroughly research the various components, build on our limited financial resources, acquire low cost materials, network with local, state, and national organizations to determine any assistance that may be available, and formalize plans. I indicated this in the email sent to several city authorities on MAY 25, 2021 (shown below). Email tracking indicates that all the recipients opened my email that same day, but I never received a response.
Upper left: The platform Jim built with bamboo rods. We stored our kayaks and Jim's canoe on it, plus outdoor containers for garden supplies. I planted flowers on the south side facing the street and transplanted some of my grandparent's ferns on the west side.
Upper right: The bread truck that housed a lot of my things, kept there for easy access and storage, as there were no storage units available in Vinton at the time I was moving Jim had expensive tools and lumber inside. The picnic table held my herb and vegetable garden seedlings.
(Not pictured: The 2nd teepee added for storage;
A collection of bird feeders west of the truck, several of which that were my grandmother's)
Lower left: The Tipi and fire pit Jim had built 3 years ago. We had recently installed landscape river rock as flooring in the tipi. We camped there many nights and found it to be a comforting retreat from the world. Or so we thought...
Lower right: The ProPit Jim mounted in the trees like a large hammock. He called it 'The Outdoor Livingroom' and we all spent many afternoons lounging in it. The Zip line doubled as a clothes line. and the trampoline. The yellow cushions came from the underground playground at the Braille school and were typically kept up in the hammock or in the trampoline.
The email I sent to Blake Hansen and CC'd Mayor Bud Maynard, and 1st ward city councilman Ron Hessenius on May 25, 2021 after returning from vacation with my daughter the evening before when we found a packet of papers left on the ground in a plastic bag in front of the tipi.
Repeated emails sent to city authorities by the primary complainant were promptly responded to and followed up on; tracking shows these individuals opened my email that day but neither Jim nor I received a response. That is discrimination.
*Update: I changed the emails to .png format so you no longer need a google account to access the documents.
And After.....
They labeled everything on the property as "junk" and destroyed it. They bulldozed the tipis and it appears they buried some of the "junk" instead of removing it like they had ordered us to do. They also bulldozed the platform deck and the flower garden at the foot of the hill. There is trash and debris scattered in the exposed sandy soil all throughout the lot. I was able to retrieve 4 out of 10 of my grandmother's windchimes, priceless pieces I inherited and proudly displayed in her memory. Given the long list of valuable items they destroyed or took away from the property, I'd like to know what prompted the decision to spare the trampoline and kayaks.
The second collage below shows pictures taken of the destruction left behind when the city was finished "abating the nuisance" on July 1, 2021.
Upper left: The view from 7th avenue facing east. Upper right: a close up of the area where the tipi had once stood.
Lower Left: the view from the northeast corner of the property looking southwest.
Lower Right: Another shot looking west and downhill, this time more focused on the play equipment that was ripped down from the trees.
The Backstory
There is a history of discord between Jim and the chief of police. Complaints about Jim's property made in previous years were resolved without proceeding to the city council meeting, much to the dismay of several parties. Paxton was overheard by several people at a church function saying he "doesn't like his kind" in reference to Jim. So when our neighbor emailed new complaints to the city administrator and the mayor in April, Chief Paxton jumped on the opportunity and paid a visit himself with a verbal warning to clean up the property. Shortly after he left, I took it upon myself to go speak with the neighbors, having a strong feeling which neighbor in particular had made the complaint. I explained my situation and asked for their patience as we figured things out. I was sure to apologize for any issues that happened before I came, but asserted that I could not speak to those issues and hoped they wouldn't happen again. I asked them to speak with me directly if they had concerns, as there was no need to involve the law, that we were willing to compromise and work with them. Three of our neighbors were friendly and agreeable and stated to me that they had no issues with Jim or his property. One neighbor expressed her disgust but seemed more agreeable at the end of our conversation.
I regret that I didn't think to speak with the tenant living immediately northeast of the property, although I'm not sure that would have made a difference in his passive-aggressive behavior and comments he made any time we used the easement/ally that we had just as much right to use as he did. The landlord had filed for a no trespass order against Jim in January, which Paxton himself delivered to my grandfather's residence on the day he passed away. Jim had not been on the property in weeks, so what prompted this I am not sure. What I do know is several times he waited until we were pulling back out of the alley to yell vulgarities in our direction, but turned away and had nothing to say when I exited the vehicle in response.
The aerial view of Jim's property, marked in red https://goo.gl/maps/CuLaqyg4fAUobBQq8
A Warrant for a Toilet
I am not even kidding. Jim was served with a warrant to search for a toilet in the tipi after they received reports we were toileting outside and seen dumping buckets of waste. Jim told them if they had simply asked he would've let them look without the warrant and denied the allegations. He openly admitted there was no toilet. He informed them that we did not live in the tipi and if we needed to use the restroom that we had friends living nearby, They still insisted on going inside the tipi and bread truck. Jim agreed and cooperated, even though the warrant was never presented til the next day and he knew that Mr. Hansen had not officially been sworn in for his promotion to Code Enforcer. These men did not ask Jim questions or otherwise investigate the claims made against us. This visit was asinine because the city was well aware that there was never a connection made to the city sewer system on record for the property. They took several pictures and talked with Jim about the complaints again. Ironically, Chief Paxton commented "cute kittens" to Jim as they were leaving.... that evening our kittens turned up missing from our property while we were running errands. (Who TF Steals Someone's Kittens?)
Blake returned the following day to provide Jim a copy of the warrant and the citations to abate the "junk and junk vehicles," "property maintenance code," and "Sewer Connection Required" violations granting us 30 days to resolve the matter.
The Emails
I had overlooked another neighbor whose yard does not adjoin with Jim's. This woman was apparently livid and she made it her personal vendetta to destroy everything we had built. The emails between city authorities and the said neighbor as pictured below were provided to us in the packet of information left on the property in late May. I do not owe this woman anything, especially after she spread prejudiced half-truths and outright lies about Jim and me; but I will not lower myself to her level so I respectfully blacked out her name to save her the retribution of our supporters. I handled that myself and the email I sent to her is also included below.
This woman is a BOLD FACED LIAR!! She obviously has never heard of a compost toilet; her prejudice obviously distorted her ability to consider a point of view different from her own limited world view in order to clearly analyze what she was seeing. She NEVER ONCE saw us dump out a bucket of anything but paint or dish water, nor did she see us dump anything and throw dirt on it. While we did spend quite a bit of time at the lot, her ASSUMPTION that we were LIVING at the lot is also false. I'd be very interested to learn how exactly we act like we are above the law? At the time this email was sent, the bread truck had been on the lot for less than SIX days. We were working on cleaning up the property, regardless if we met her unreasonable expectations and timeframe. If she is referring to the tipi, Jim had never been instructed to demolish it in the THREE years it had been there.
She was obviously not concerned about anyone's welfare.... but her vengeful preoccupation with us IS concerning!
Shame on the city officials that condoned and encouraged this behavior instead of doing their job!
Above: I am rather disgusted that she was continuously spying on us, but spying on us with Jim's children crosses the line! How would you like to live next door to someone like this? Of course, nothing was ever said to us directly... COWARD!
Below: In this email, she not only used derogatory racial slurs, no doubt pleased with herself as if she were witty, but once again she LIED: her husband NEVER saw me using the bathroom outside. This woman and her husband are JUST FLAT OUT NUTS!!
Below: Personally, I find Mr. Paxton's choice of words to be interesting, given the fact it is no secret that he has a grudge against Jim... And yes, let's not forget those "poor neighbors..." the ones that repeatedly invaded our privacy by spying on us and displayed their obsessive preoccupation by making multiple false accusations.
Above: The sender/recipient information for the final email (below) is at the end of this page.
Wow. Sounds like she's pretty disappointed she isn't able to keep a camera on us 24/7... I am too actually, because then we would have proof to defend ourselves from her campaign of lies!
The 2nd tipi was built in order to store our belongings out of sight in hopes this would stop the complaints about stuff being out in the open, but satisfying this particular woman is seemingly impossible. The signs that she was referring to were created as a means of peaceful protest in response to the kittens being stolen from the lot the day Jim was served with a warrant to look for a toilet. We suspect she was involved with this. It would be nice to know who she has spying on Jim's social media, because they are not friends on facebook or anywhere else! The statements about me are unnecessary hearsay followed by more paranoid and false accusations.
My education and professional experience gives me confidence in pointing out that an individual is projecting their own shortcomings when they make negative comments such as these against another person they do not know. Just saying!
I sent the following email the day after Jim's property was demolished. I was not out of line, or excessively disrespectful. I am not sorry and I will not apologize.
*Update: I changed the emails to .png format so you no longer need a google account to access the documents.
Adding Insult to Injury
As the warm weather sets in, I am finally feeling like myself again after the darkness of the holidays and another year of birthdays without my children when I can play in the dirt and enjoy the outdoors. Before I know it July hits and my mental health is again on the struggle bus. As if this first week in July is not hard enough for me....
It will be three years tomorrow since they first took my children.
Dillan died in a motorcycle accident on July 7th, 2017
They kidnapped my children for the 2nd time on July 8th, 2021.
I do rent a storage unit with leftovers of my previous life, things that belonged to my children that I couldn't bear to part with, bare bones of a home if I ever decide to settle into a house again. When I moved in with grandpa, I brought clothes, toiletries, a few books and personal belongings like to decorate my room and for use in my creative hobbies. I acquired more stuff while I lived with him; crafting and building materials, keepsakes, items that were given to me, treasures rescued from a dumpster. A significant portion of these things I acquired with the intent of updating or upcycling them. I planned to sell these things online and work towards establishing a physical location. When Grandpa died and we were abruptly booted out of his home, there were no storage units available so we had no choice but to pack up the bread truck and park it on Jim's lot.
They Refused to Work With Us
City officials can assert they had no idea about these things, but they also wouldn't speak with me about any of this "because I am not the landowner," I made an attempt to discuss these issues in person with Blake Hansen on May 27th after noting he had opened my email without the courtesy of a response. His demeanor was disrespectful and dismissive of the valid points I raised with him, then he belittled and chastised me like a child for using profanity in my frustration. He and other city officials refused to speak with me going forward after that day, denying Jim his right to designate me as a mediator since he had just started a new job and couldn't afford to miss work.
Jim submitted the paperwork for an administrative appeal of the citations on May 28th, hoping to avoid court proceedings by taking the issue before the city council. He was denied this appeal, stating it was outside the allotted time frame. The letter left in a plastic bag on the property indicates it was left there on May 21,2021 but we did not receive it until we returned from vacation the evening of May 24th. The wording was confusing as to the due date and that is why I had requested clarification in my email on the 25th, but as stated before no one responded.
If they had bothered to actually SPEAK WITH US about the allegations and concerns, or gather evidence with any other means than subjective statements and photographs from someone that demonstrated such obsessive prejudice towards us, then this situation could have concluded with an agreement that satisfied all parties involved and allowed us to continue to move forward with rebuilding our lives.
Being from a small town, we are confident they were well aware when they served us the initial paperwork that we did not have the financial means to build bathroom facilities and install a sewage system within the 30 day time frame. They knew that neither of us are licensed to drive and were thus unable to register the bread truck. They report that the bread truck was inoperable, but were aware it spent a few weeks in my grandfather's driveway before it was driven to the lot. We have no idea what happened to cause the spider-webbing on the passenger side of the windshield as they cited in the paperwork, but we know that it was not there when it arrived to the lot. They also knew the vehicle was not insured; We could sense that we were being closely monitored, so we were scared to move it for fear the vehicle would be pulled over and subsequently towed. That is why it was PARKED on Jim's property and used for storage while we made plans for renovations. Now, we are even further behind after the court added $6500 in fines plus the cost of abatement that they will likely seek reimbursement for as well. Not to mention the thousands of dollars in tools both us needed for work and the thousands of dollars in inventory I had accumulated.
If you take the time to peruse the city ordinances, you will find rather broad definitions of the terms "junk" and "junk vehicles" that has the potential to denigrate more citizens of Vinton based on subjective opinions, just like they did to us. This is a perfect example of class warfare, waged under the guise of public health and aesthetics that we suspect were adapted in order to target certain individuals. This is a clear demonstration of city officials abusing their power, making rules up as they go, and denigrating citizens based on cultural bias. They are happily and knowingly perpetuating our struggle specifically, pushing us deeper into poverty with little hope for the future. Does that make them happy? Does that neighbor sleep better at night knowing what she did?
The Court Order
The emails of a clearly obsessive and delusional woman that "documented our activity" and some poor quality photographs of the property taken weeks prior to the court date were enough to secure the following court order. Jim inadvertently missed the first court date and was not notified of the continuance. After being denied the administrative appeal, we were discouraged that the court system would grant us justice anyway. We did not know about the court order until the evening before they showed up and destroyed everything.
We knew they would come and remove the junk that had accumulated. We suspected they would find a way to haul away the bread truck. We had no idea the level of destruction they had planned. Prior to this there had been NO MENTION of either tipi in any of the paperwork we received. Neither the one that had solidly stood in place for 3 years, nor the new one we constructed together. There was also no mention of the equipment Jim installed for his children and their friends to enjoy. If you take the time to peruse the Orwellian city ordinances, you will find a rather broad definition of the terms "junk" and "junk vehicles" that has the potential to denigrate a significant percentage among the citizens of Vinton based on cultural bias and class warfare, which I suspect was the intent.
Legal Theft
I slept through my alarm on the morning of July 1, 2021, and woke to find several messages alerting me that the streets surrounding the lot were blocked off by police cars. I rushed to get ready and get ahold of someone for a ride. We arrived to the lot around 1030 to catch a glimpse of the dump trucks headed west on 2nd street a few blocks away. I looked around at the devastation and could not believe what I saw as we drove around the block to chase after them.
As you can see in the after pictures posted above... THEY had destroyed EVERYTHING!! I am compiling a full itemized list of the things that were taken from us, but as of right now I know they stole: ALL OF MY CLOTHES; FIVE totes of antique books; a sizable collection of craft materials, acrylic paints, paintbrushes, and empty canvases; several pieces of furniture that belonged to my grandparents; the dremel and the tools Grandpa gave me; a large canvas portrait of my sons, altar and tools, 5 decks of tarot cards, the rock tumbler, a large collection of tumbled and raw rocks and crystals, vegetable and medicinal herb seed collections and seedling for the garden, my flowers and flower garden.... they even took MY GRANDMOTHER'S BIRD FEEDERS AND WINDCHIMES!
Update 7/4/2021 Thankfully I had given several of my paintings to a dear friend before I moved out of grandpa's house for safekeeping! I had completely forgotten and was incredibly relieved to have them in my hands once again!! It is also beyond comforting to know they did not get my copy of George Orwell's 1984.
Jim suffered a devastating loss that day as well. My heart breaks to see him so distressed. He did nothing to deserve this after all of his hard work! Many people in this town have benefitted from the fruits of his knowledge and incredibly skilled labor. Here is a preliminary list of the items he had taken from him:
All his tools, 2 chainsaws, 2 push lawn mowers, weed eater, backpack leaf blower, Pik deck, 2-stroke generator, appx 8-10 industrial ladders.... NOT JUNK... an estimated $50,000 in tools!!!
The bread truck we were preparing to convert into a mobile living space and someday go on the road to flea markets and festivals! Check out Paul the BreadTrucker on Youtube for an idea what our final project would look like.
the PROPIT he had mounted in the tree like a large hammock, the swings, the zipline, the horse shoe pits and horse shoes... that he installed for his kids.
A large American flag sign displaying The American Creed
My late grandfather's American Flag that Jim had out on display
Over $20,000 in bamboo that provided the skeleton for his tipis
The tipi he built THREE YEARS AGO that protected him and survived without damage through the derecho
The 2nd tipi we built for storage to bring his property into compliance, as nothing was ever stated about removing the 1st tipi
And more...
*Update- the boat was returned to the lot and the canoe has been recovered.
How You Can Help
I anticipate that many of you will be reaching out in the upcoming weeks and wondering if there is anything you can do to help. You are welcome to forward this blog post and share our story! We request that you contact us before taking any other action, so we can update you as needed and coordinate efforts so we can reap the greatest benefit to all going forward. We are just getting over the initial shock of what was done to us, but you can bet this is not over! This deeply affected both Jim and I. It will be difficult to recover from, but we are blessed with a large network of amazing friends and we are confident the universe will continue to provide us with everything we need!
We greatly appreciate all the support we have already received! Thank you all so much, from both of us!!
Namaste! Blessed be! <3 ashley marie
Jim & Me
The destruction changed our short- and long-term plans but we refused to let the negativity and hatred ruin our holiday weekend! Thank you for your support!!
Independence Day weekend selfie!
I'm still smiling, because despite my struggles I STILL am incredibly blessed and grateful!
Do not let your LIGHT be muddied by the darkness around you! SHINE ON!!
Contact Our Elected Officials
If you are upset by this occurrence and feel driven to let our city officials know what you think or how it made you feel, here are their business cards and contact information :)
Please be mindful of your words and represent our cause in a respectful manner...
The last thing we want is more hatred and negativity! We can fight back without stooping to that level!
Email Ted Paxton, Chief of Police
