Seventeen year old land dispute takes center stage in political race

Seventeen year old land dispute takes center stage in political race

If there is one thing that the people of Michigan are sick of right now it’s the recent flood of political ads that seem to have taken over the airwaves. Over the past few decades the once “vote for me, I’m the right choice” ads have given way to smear campaigns that seem to be more concerned with slinging mud rather than focusing on making change happen.

But for residents in Nebraska, people are seeing not only negative campaign ads but the ugly truth about land disputes as well.

The Snake River and its surrounding area have been labeled as the state’s “most expensive playground,” boasting everything from an exclusive trout streams to a golf course that charges $500 for two rounds of golf. This is also the area involved in a heated 1995 lawsuit between Republican candidate Deb Fischer and an elderly couple who owned the Snake River Falls Ranch.

According to the lawsuit, in the 90s, the Fischer family attempted to solve a boundary discrepancy that had existed since the 1930s between the Fischers and the elderly couples’ family, the Kimes. The Fischers suggested a land trade that would make the boundary between the two properties more easily distinguishable. After the Kimes refused, they eventually sold the 104 acres that was being contested over in the boundary dispute which led to a lawsuit issued by the Fischers.

Inevitably, the court sided with the Kimes pointing out that they owned the land, not the Fischer family. Now, this seventeen year old lawsuit is being used as cannon fodder against Fischer by her Democratic opponent which she claims shows that “he’d rather sling mud than talk about actual issues facing voters.”

Source: The Star Herald, “‘Perfect’ land at heart of Fischer dispute with neighbors,” The Omaha World-Herald, Oct. 30, 2012

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