Complex sentence: Numerous people living in the city did not agree on the amount of lease payments or the legitimacy of the Senecas' absolute ownership claim, and this caused bitterness, lawsuits, and appeals to government officials.
Split into simpler sentences: Numerous people living in the city did not agree on the amount of lease payments or the legitimacy of the Senecas' absolute ownership claim. The controversy aroused bitterness, lawsuits, and appeals to government officials.