Town Racks Up High Legal Bills In Code Enforcement Against Non-Profit

The town of Springdale, Washington has so far spent over $34,000 (over 20% of the town's annual budget) in a 2-year battle to enforce its building code against Dawud Ahmad, who says he is a Muslim sheik, and claims he has the right to live in a shed that does not meet building code requirements.  The shed is owned by a non-profit organization, Muslim America.  Ahmed is the organization's registered agent.  He claims that Muslim America is exercising its religious right to offer shelter to a homeless member of its organization. According to yesterday's Spokane (WA) Spokesman Review, last October a trial court rejected Ahmed's attempt to require the town to grant a building code exemption for the property. The court also ordered Ahmed and Muslim America to pay the town's legal bills of nearly $24,000. Plaintiffs, however, have appealed the decision, causing the city to have to spend another $10,000 on legal fees. The court has allowed Ahmed to sue in forma pauperis, so he has not had to pay any filing fees.