A Tama attorney who filed a one-billion dollar lawsuit against the city and Tama County over a building has lost round one and has filed a second suit. Tama City Clerk Judy Welch says the jury issued a unanimous decision Friday in the first lawsuit brought by Allen Richards. She says the city of Tama was dimissed from the charges, and the jury found the county was “not guilty” of any of the charges.
Richards filed the lawsuit after a Tama County magistrate ruled for the city that a building Richards owns in Tama had to be torn down at his expense. Richards had alleged among other things that the city and county were guilty of outrageous misconduct, trespass, injury to professional reputation and forcible entry in the suit.
Welch says the second suit appears to be similar to the first. She says all she knows is the second suit is against the county, city and some of the officers involved. Welch says the second suit also seeks one-billion dollars in connection with the building and alleges several things. She says, “Count one outrageous conduct, trespassing, injury to professional reputation, forcible entry, trespassing damages, abuse of process, civil rights violation, unlawful seizure, unlawful search and right to privacy.” The trial is set to begin March 27th.