Anderson Files Complaint Against Lapel

The City of Anderson is calling a recent annexation by the town of Lapel “invalid.” City Attorney Ashley Hopper says the complaint in Madison Circuit Court seeks to determine if Lapel “exceeded its statutory authority” under the state's Home Rule Act. August 9, 2013

News Release

ANDERSON, Ind. – The City of Anderson filed a Complaint for Declaratory Judgment against the Town of Lapel on Friday August 9, 2013 in relation to Lapel's annexation of approximately 57 acres in May of this year. The City is asking the court to declare that Lapel's annexation ordinance is invalid.

The City is contending that Lapel violated Indiana's Home Rule Act by not complying with the provisions of Indiana's annexation statute. According to the Complaint, Lapel's annexation does not meet the contiguity requirements of state law, and therefore, is invalid and unlawful.

City Attorney, Ashley Hopper: “The City is seeking a determination from the courts as to whether Lapel exceeded its statutory authority under the Home Rule Act when the town annexed land in May, despite the fact the annexation did not meet the statutory requirements for contiguity in Indiana's annexation laws.”

The case was filed in Madison Circuit Court 6.

Source: City of Anderson