Opinion ID: 5126740
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Plain Township Amends the Hedge Ordinance

Text: As the parties litigated Armatas’s fraud lawsuit in state court, Haws proposed an amendment to the Hedge Ordinance at a September 2017, Plain Township Board of Trustees meeting. The proposed amendment would add several definitions to the Hedge Ordinance, including a definition for “hedges.” In effect, the proposed definition for “hedges” would exclude evergreen trees. Armatas alleged that Haws and Ferrara had their own personal reasons for supporting the amendment. Armatas referred to the meeting minutes of the September 2017 Trustees meeting, which state that the amendments would “aid in the application” of the Hedge Ordinance. In the original complaint, Armatas alleged that the meeting minutes do not mention either his lawsuit against Haws and Ferrara or that both Haws and Ferrara provided Armatas with inaccurate information. Armatas further alleged that Ferrara is on record at a Zoning Commission meeting stating that the reason for the amendment was to “stop the litigation” started by Armatas. On November 14, 2017, the Plain Township Board of Trustees passed and adopted Amendment #571-17, which added a definition for “hedges” to the Hedge Ordinance. An attorney on behalf of Plain Township explained that “this proposed change is due to a lawsuit and appeal that were both denied.” -3- No. 21-3190, Armatas v. Haws