Lawsuit accuses Morongo Band of blocking access to property

Friday, February 18, 2011  

A developer is accusing the Morongo Band of Mission Indians of blocking access to his property in Banning, California.

Lloyd Fields wants to develop homes on his 41-acre site. He says the tribe has erected a gate on the only road leading to his property.

In hopes of resolving the issue, Fields is suing the city to determine whether the access road is public property. But the tribe isn't named as a party in the lawsuit, which could complicate the case.

"This is a legal issue that will be resolved between the city of Banning and Mr. Fields. The Tribe is not a party to the lawsuit and has not been served; therefore the Tribal Council has not had an opportunity to review the complaint," a spokesperson told The Los Angeles Times.

Fields' property is surrounded on all sides by the Morongo Reservation and land owned by the tribe in fee status, the paper said.

Fields

Get the Story:
Landowner sues Banning over Indian tribe's gate across road leading to his property (The Los Angeles Times 2/18)