Court lifts restraint against vocal condo critic in Hopkins
Star Tribune
John Reinan
03 September 2016
A Hopkins man engaged in a bitter, long-running dispute with the
management of the Meadow Creek condominiums has been vindicated by the
state’s second-highest court.
In a decision issued last week, the Minnesota Court of Appeals ruled
that Mel Pittel would no longer be subject to a restraining order
preventing him from attending condo board meetings.
Pittel, a vocal critic of the condo’s board and management company, had
been barred from attending board meetings by a two-year restraining
order that expired in October 2015. The condo board had sought to
extend the order.
The court ruled that Pittel’s most recent criticisms of management and
the board, although often “unpleasant and offensive,” did not
constitute harassment that would warrant extending the restraining
order.
“Over the last few years, I have acknowledged that perhaps in some
instances I may have been a little excessive and for that reason I
toned things down and offered numerous opportunities for ‘compromise’
and ‘cooperation,’ ” Pittel said in an e-mail.
“Unfortunately, the board chose to take the ‘hard line’ route and after two years and much expense they have been proven wrong.”
Meadow Creek is the largest condo complex in Minnesota, with more than 530 units and more than 1,000 residents.
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