My name is Stacey Bales, wife of Adam Bales. We are very long time family friends of the Ahlstrom’s. We are saddened to see them fighting for the use of their own property, that has been in the Ahlstrom family name for over 100 years.  We want nothing more than to help them save the land that they were born and raised on.

For the last two years, the Ahlstroms have been fighting a lawsuit brought on by a neighboring resident/homeowner. They are being sued for riding motorcycles and other vehicles occasionally on their land in Tropic, Utah-which has been its primary use since the early 90’s. According to the city and county, the track is grandfathered in as it was there before any residential dwellings. While we are not at liberty to share the details, know there is SO much that goes into this lawsuit. Which is why this has gone on much longer than necessary. Our friends/family can’t afford to fight anymore, but can’t afford not to!

The Ahlstroms were served the lawsuit in December 2022. Since then, the Ahlstrom family has paid over $80,000 in legal fees fighting to be able to use their own property as they have for over 20 years. As of today, they have not even reached trial yet, which will be the biggest expense.

The Ahlstroms have tried to reach a compromise with their neighbors, as Mike (Lesa) still live across from them-adjacent to the track-to avoid going to trial. And to ultimately avoid the mental stress and financial burden. However, they were not able to reach a reasonable agreement. The Ahlstrom's are exhausting all options they have left.

The Ahlstroms have indebted themselves fighting this lawsuit and are drowning as a result. They have been through the loss of two immediate family members this last year and are trying to balance grief, along with every day normalcy, as well as the emotional and financial burden of this lawsuit.

On behalf of our friends, who we consider family, I would like to ask for your support in helping the Ahlstrom family, in hopes of easing some of the financial burden(s) they currently face, and may continue to face. Any donation and/or share would be deeply appreciated!!!

-Who are the Ahlstroms, and how this lawsuit began-

The Ahlstroms : Father; Doug, sons; Kortney (Christie), Mike (Lesa), and daughter Julie have land in the very rural town of Tropic, Utah. Population approximately 500.

Doug has been an upstanding member of our community for more than 70 years, owning the local grocery store for many of those, and serving in positions with the city board and local church. His late wife Vicki was the special education teacher/director in Tropic for many, many years. She helped raise more than a million funded dollars for their schools. Julie stayed with her parents to help care for them, and was with Vicki through the stress of this lawsuit until she passed last October.

Mike has followed in his father’s footsteps as he is a volunteer firefighter, has served on the city board and is actively involved in the community.

And while Kortney moved away 20 years ago, and has a family of his own, he still considers Tropic his home.

In the early 1990’s, the Ahlstrom’s built a small personal dirtbike track on their property spanning several acres. At this time, there were no homes on the property. Over time, the track shrunk as Doug and his late wife Vicki built a home. Later Mike and his wife Lesa built their home.

Tropic is a very small community. Dirt bikes, four wheelers and side by sides are a common sight there. In fact, it would be uncommon to not see a recreational vehicle in the area. There are many trails in the area that visitors from all over the world, as well as residents, enjoy the majority of the year.

The track currently (and for the last 20+ years) consists of part of Kortney’s 3.5 acres that was passed down, and deeded to him roughly 24 years ago. As well as part of Julie’s 2.5 acres. It has only ever been used personally by friends and family, and occasionally residents of Tropic.

For many years, riding used to be weekends throughout the spring, summer and fall as weather allowed. But as life went on, trips for Kortney and his family became less, as they reside 2.5 hours away in La Verkin, Utah and are caretakers to a person with special needs.

A couple bought what once was Mike's home, in early 2019. At the time, they did not realize that there was a recreational track across the road from them. They were not pleased with this discovery, hence this lawsuit against the Ahlstroms and others.

*** The lawsuit is aimed mainly at the track, which is Kortney’s. I would like to stress that Kortney has never met, nor seen this couple personally. The neighbors suing the Ahlstrom's have only ever attempted to contact Kortney once, which was via a very brief 3 minutes phone call, in 2020.

Since 2019, we estimate that the Ahlstrom family has ridden on their property maybe 15 weekends.  And roughly another 17 or so days of usage by locals in Tropic. Being generous by considering the weekends 3 days each, that is a grand total of approximately 62 days over a course of 5 years. In other words, 62 days out of approximately 1826 days

Kortney’s children grew up riding dirt bikes/motorcycles and looked forward to their brief trips to Tropic to visit family and ride their dirt bikes sporadically over the weekend. Never early in the morning nor after dark. They ride for an hour or so, take a break, then go back out, and another break, etc. Mike's children also enjoy occasionally riding on the track, usually with Kortney's children.

They enjoy using their land for this, as they have for many years. My family has also made use of the track years ago, while getting together with the Ahlstrom family, and can assure you, this all to be true.

The neighbors/couple is suing for personal damages, as well as damages to their airbnb in their basement-which has been there for many years, and has been very successful before they owned the home. They have not received a single negative review on the accommodations they provide, as a result of/caused by the Ahlstroms riding.

Sadly, the Ahlstroms are out of money to continue to fight this lawsuit. The family has reached the point it’s become necessary to ask for donations during this stressful time. They are being sued for well over a million dollars and have already thrown everything they can, financially, towards the legal fees alone.

This has been a long, tiring, and incredibly stressful fight for our friends. Not to mention financially crippling. The Ahlstrom's are doing their best to continue fighting, keeping their heads high, and having faith they will be able to continue enjoying their property for many more generations to come.

Any donation would be helpful in continuing this battle, to be able to utilize their land as they have been for many years.

There is so much more that goes into this lawsuit, but this is already very extensive.  Feel free to reach out to any of the Ahlstroms.  

 

On behalf of the Ahlstroms , we thank you for your continued support of our friends

Adam & Stacey Bales