He was separately found in contempt of court by a judge in Maine for breaching a restraining order. A prior court order had expressly forbidden him from removing any post near the property. Smith told the Guardian he had been unaware of the order and that in his view, the post was actually on his property. The incident was a flashpoint in legal actions brought against Smith by Fissmer and later joined by five other neighbours. According to the neighbours, Smith also claimed ownership of the paved lane they all used as a shared right of way, after a survey that he commissioned found that boundaries were being incorrectly enforced.

Source: The Guardian April 11, 2018 11:26 UTC