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State forced to pay legal fees in farm housing jurisdiction dispute

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Former Wall Street executive Salim Lewis has won yet another legal battle against a New York state parks agency, which contended that Lewis failed to obtain the proper permits to build houses for his workers on his 1,200-acre upstate organic farm before he started construction, according to the New York Times. The agency contended that they had jurisdiction over the houses built on Lewis’ Essex farm, which is considered one of the most revolutionary farming facilities in the state for its organic initiatives. A state appellate court, however disagreed, with a unanimous July 2009 ruling in Lewis’ favor. To add insult to injury, the most recent ruling handed down by a state judge today will require the state to pay Lewis’ legal bills, which total as much as $200,000.