A woman is leading the charge to support a Connelly Springs man in jeopardy of losing his property.
Sandi Walker and others are holding a demonstration at noon today at the Connelly Springs Town Hall in support of Howard Auton, a man who has had legal woes with the town since 2006.
Walker said the town put a lien on Auton's properties last year while his wife was sick.
After his wife passed away, Auton acquired a loan and wrote a check to the town for $6,000, Walker said. But six months later the check hadn't been cashed, and now Auton has a court date Monday to set a date to auction off his properties.
"(Auton) has been railroaded," Walker said.
Because of the lien, Auton can't sell the properties, which means he doesn't have a chance to pay the money owed, Walker said.
Of the demonstration, Walker hopes it can put a stop to the town council's actions.
"I just want (the town) to stop," Walker said. "This doesn't need to be this way. It's like they're trying to punish him. The poor man's already been stomped into the ground."
Louis Vinay Jr., the Town of Connelly Springs attorney, said the first lawsuit filed against Auton was in 2006.
At the time, the town discovered that Auton's properties on Israel Chapel Road and at 698 US 70 had accumulated "a lot of junk material," Vinay said.
The town told Auton to clean up the mess per the town's public nuisance order, Vinay said. Auton didn't clean up the mess, so the town took legal action by obtaining a court order to clean up the property.
Either Auton could clean up the property or the town could clean it up and charge him for the costs, Vinay said.
Auton still did not clean up the property, and after the town pursued a contempt citation on him, he was found in contempt of court for failing to comply, Vinay said.
"Eventually the town cleaned up the property," Vinay said. "(It cost) tens of thousands of dollars to clean this up."
Auton was charged for the cost of the clean up, which he did not pay, Vinay said. The town pursued court action again to sell the property to pay the clean up bills.
Vinay said Auton's check for $6,000 was insufficient for covering the costs of the clean up.
When Auton's wife was ill, the town suspended its actions against him, Vinay said. But in January began pursuing the matter again.
"It is obviously the town's position that they have bent over backwards to deal with Mr. Auton," Vinay said.
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