The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

Ferentz heads to court in neighborhood dispute

Iowa+head+coach+Kirk+Ferentz+speaks+during+Iowa+football+media+day+on+Saturday%2C+Aug.+5%2C+2017.+The+Hawkeyes+will+play+open+up+non-conference+play+against+Wyoming+at+11+a.m.+%28CT%29+on+Saturday%2C+Sept.+2.+%28Joseph+Cress%2FThe+Daily+Iowan%29
The Daily Iowan; Photos by Josep
Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz speaks during Iowa football media day on Saturday, Aug. 5, 2017. The Hawkeyes will play open up non-conference play against Wyoming at 11 a.m. (CT) on Saturday, Sept. 2. (Joseph Cress/The Daily Iowan)

Kirk Ferentz and wife Mary will head to trial at the Johnson County Courthouse in a lawsuit filed by three neighboring families, as first reported by the Associated Press.

The Ferentzes purchased land on the road in 2001, early on in his tenure as the football head coach. A long-running dispute between the Ferentzes and their neighbors began that year after neighbors John and Ann Marie Buatti proposed subdividing 20 acres of property for development, according to court documents.

The Buattis also wanted to resurface and extend the gravel road to give their children more space on which to ride their bikes. The Ferentzes objected mainly because of privacy concerns, and according to John Buatti’s deposition, Mary Ferentz told him, “You don’t understand who I am” to back up her opposition to the changes.

To settle the dispute, neighbors, including the Ferentzes, formed an agreement in 2001 to create a homeowners’ association, which was intended to establish guidelines for splitting road-maintenance costs.

Developer Gary Watts moved in after the Buattis subdivided their property, and Watts later paid to change the road surface to chip and seal in 2003 despite Mary Ferentz’s opposition.

The Saddle Club Road Homeowners’ Association was not formed until 2015, when the neighbors decided the road needed repairs.

Sixth District Court Judge Kevin McKeever determined in September 2017, however, that the Ferentzes were required to join an association under the 2001 agreement, but not the one formed in 2015 because it was structured differently from the association discussed in 2001.

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About the Contributor
Marissa Payne, Editor-in-Chief
Twitter: @marissajpayne
Marissa Payne is the Editor-in-Chief of The Daily Iowan. A proud first-generation college student, she served as Managing Editor in 2018-19, shifting coverage to focus on more public-affairs, issue-based news stories. She started working at the DI her freshman year as a news reporter covering the UI administration and Iowa Board of Regents, and also as a page designer. Additionally, she has served as News Editor and Digital Editor. Throughout her DI career, she has reported on higher education and occasionally contributed to politics coverage. She has gained external experience through internships with the Cedar Rapids Gazette and Philadelphia Inquirer.