Apologies in advance... this is definitely tl;dr material about a quarter mile of gravel road in Nowhere, USA - but this is a story that has me fascinated. This seems like the right place for others who may have interest. Cliff notes:
* Family moves from metro Twin Cities to begin a new life in Nowhere USA (actually, Hillman Township Minnesota - Population 38)
* They purchase a house next door to a former city board member, sharing a gravel road which passes by his house to their own dead end driveway.
* When trying to arrange for bus service for their kids to get to school, they are told it can't be arranged because the final 1/4 mile (the portion beyond the neighbor's yard) is in a state of disrepair.
* They ask the city to repair, and are told the city no longer services that road, so they put tens of thousands of their own money into this road, even creating a cul-de-sac for a bus to turn around on their own property. The city still denied bus service, which was ignored by the school district - who has picked up children for school in defiance of the city order.
* When winter came around, they are told there will be no plowing of this stretch. They begin plowing themselves, and the neighbor calls the police 3 times. They are informed that because the city has not serviced the road in the past 40 years, an obscure state law has caused ownership of that land to revert to the former board member neighbor. It's now his personal property.
* They appeal to the city Board, producing evidence of a contract in 1983 providing maintenance of the road, but the Board discredits the accuracy of the contract, asserting that they have asked around and no one recalls this work. They vote 2-1 in favor of the neighbor.
* An election referendum is put up for vote, and the citizenship votes against the city retaking/maintaining this road.
* A case is brought against the city, and the judge rules that the city has acted appropriately in light of the 40 year rule.
* The US Post Office ceased delivering mail to the family.
* One of the three Board members was charged with third-degree criminal sexual conduct, a felony with a possible sentence of 15 years in prison. He's accused of having sex with his family's 17-year-old babysitter.
* The family again pled their case to the city Board, but the Board declared their "hands are tied by the 40 year law" and again voted against the family 2-1.
* A new case was brought, and the
very same judge who had previously ruled in favor of the city reversed course and found the city had acted "unreasonable and absurd" in leaving the family at the mercy of a neighbor who doesn't like them.
* Hands "untied" by a new court order, the city Board met behind closed doors this week and plans to appeal the ruling - not using their own money, but rather using a fund established for township litigation in Minnesota.
https://www.startribune.com/rural-minn-family-may-be-trapped-as-town-declares-their-access-road-doesn-t-exist/600092393/
https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-family-that-lost-its-road-now-faces-showdown-with-a-skeptical-township-board/600107831/
https://www.startribune.com/in-tense-meeting-minnesota-township-maintains-road-to-family-s-home-has-ceased-to-exist/600108341/ {Note, check out pic of alleged sex offender board member pictured in checkered pants)
https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-family-that-lost-the-road-to-its-home-will-get-it-back/600115968/?refresh=true
https://www.startribune.com/hillman-township-family-lost-gravel-road-dispute-mora-minnesota-kanabec-county/600117777/?refresh=true