Help Anthony ‘Tony’ Mason “Fight the Good Fight”

My brother, Anthony "Tony" Mason, needs our help. After losing both parents last year (dad, Dan, in April 2022 and mom, Phyliss, in June 2022) he was forcefully & unlawfully removed from his home of 5 years and does not have access to his personal possessions on the property.

For those who may not know, Tony relocated from Marshalltown approximately 5 years ago and had been living with family on his dad’s land located outside of Pleasantville, Iowa; just east of Des Moines. Several years ago Tony’s dad, with his health declining, gifted the family farm/acreage to him & his brother.

The two brothers planned to construct a joint home on the property. However, Tony feared that some back taxes he owed might endanger those plans in case a tax lien were to ever be put on the property; hindering the use of the land as collateral for their home-building financing. He shared these concerns with his dad & brother and it was decided to not include his name on the deed but he would still own half the property.

Amid all this heartache a heated argument sparked between Tony & his brother and continued to escalate into a full-blown conflict. This family rift continued for months culminating with his brother involving law enforcement to remove Tony from the property. Tony, knowing the protocol for this type of scenario as well as his civil rights, refused to leave his home. He was arrested and thrown in jail.

Most everything Tony owns is still on the property; including all the work tools he needs for his livelihood, warmer clothes to endure the winter season and countless other items one has in a home they've resided in for years. He has no access to any of it.

He feels the authorities acted unlawfully illegally as there was no due process given and he was never legally evicted, ejected or in any other way ordered by the court to remove himself & his possessions from the property. He applied for a court-appointed attorney but was denied - stating that since the charge carries no jail time they don’t have to provide him with one (even though he was arrested & subsequently jailed). This contradicts his understanding that one cannot be arrested and put in jail for trespassing unless one has first been officially cited and then refuses to leave. Tony was never officially cited.

His ultimate goal is to file suit against the county and his brother for violating his civil rights (as well as a suit for his half of the land & punitive damages). He has a trial set for mid-February and he needs legal representation to help him navigate the whole process.

Please consider helping Tony have a Happier New Year in 2023.

Help make Tony MASON Happy in 2023!!