Brooktrails Township etc. v. Mendocino Cty.

BACKGROUND

Much of the relevant history behind this dispute was set out in Paland I: ―The Brooktrails Township Community Services District (District) was formed to provide water and sewer service to about 6,500 real property parcels in or near Willits, California.[3] [Citation.] About 1,536 of the parcels are currently connected to the District‘s water system, and about 1,490 are connected to its sewer system. The rest of the parcels are undeveloped and not yet connected to the District‘s utility systems. Parcels not connected to the water and sewer systems are charged annual water availability and sewer standby fees. Parcels connected to the water and sewer systems are charged connection fees at the time of hookup to the systems, and thereafter fixed monthly water and sewer ‗base rates,‘ as well as inclining usage-based rates for water service. The sewer connection is not a metered service, and is therefore not subject to a usage charge beyond the monthly base rate. ―Appellant David Paland, a property owner in the District, connected his parcel to the water and sewer systems in 1986 and paid $1,800 in connection fees. In the decades that followed, he periodically discontinued…