Union letters to the editor

The city of Washington is a bully and violating our Fourth Amendment right. We have always understood that a citizen has the right to use and enjoy their property without interference from any government body. The city of Washington seems to feel they have the right to trespass on our property, do anything they want including damaging it and seizing parts without due process or even telling us what they are doing.

When they rebuilt South E a couple years ago, the culvert under the road needed to be extended into our pasture. Without saying anything to us, they installed it but did little to prevent erosion, did not restore it to its original condition and left trash for us to clean up. We had livestock in that pasture but they cut boundary fences at will as well as cutting our phone line six times. The fences have been repaired but the damages have not.

Many years ago, an easement was granted to the city along our north boundary just south of the city limits to give them access to their sewer plant. The city quit using the easement road around 5 years ago and the road was gated so the public could not use it as a shortcut but we continued to use it to access our fields. We have paid taxes on this easement and continue to do so today.

The city announced the reversion agreement was too old, is now void and they own the property. Last week the bulldozers came in and took out our well marked property pins, tore out the road including the drops we had installed several years ago including the ones on our side of the fence damaging our fence.

Historically the area they call the business park has had heavy run off to our property. They leveled the ground off several inches above the ground across the fence and left no erosion control. A heavy rain will wash the dirt right on our crop of beans. They have done nothing to legally transfer that easement to them and have no concern for our rights.

Evidently because we are elderly and in poor health, the city thinks they can grab land, trespass and do whatever with our property as we are not important enough to even have the courtesy to discuss their plans with us. Now a new subdivision is being developed south of us. They talked at P&Z about improving the road along the east side of our property & the plans to make the curve a T road. We wonder how much they will grab from us and how much damage will they do to this area of our farm

Keith and Sara Murphy

Washington