by Amanda Rink, Editor
In a recent email communication, Michael Bowman, Clarmond Country Club President, expressed concerns over a longstanding land dispute involving the Country Club, Wright County, and the State of Iowa. “Things were done in a strange series of events,” Bowman wrote.
Bowman shared that, according to a 2021 abstract, the land in question still appears as Clarmond's property. A survey conducted by Schlotfeldt Engineering affirmed Clarmond's ownership amid a dispute with the "Schroeder Estate." Furthermore, correspondence from 2014 revealed Wright County’s struggle to determine the rightful owner of the property. Despite adopting a "wait and see" approach, Wright County continued to collect taxes on the parcel, asserting that the state "should own" the land.
The complexity of sovereign lakebed claims adds more confusion to the dispute. Particularly when the property's accessibility by boat from a continuous body of water is uncertain. It's emphasized in the email from Bowman that the sovereign lakebed claim was selectively applied only to the property serving county interests, excluding multiple properties on the South shore reclaimed from lake dredging for development years ago.
The property was conveyed to the state of Iowa in 2023. Bowman stated this was following a state survey done without notification to Clarmond Country Club. Records on Beacon were nonexistent shortly before the property was conveyed to the state.
Michael Bowman has served as president for the last three years. He expressed dissatisfaction with the situation and questioned the fairness of the process in his email to The Wright County Monitor.
While he acknowledged the possibility of the sovereign lakebed claims altering the property's fate, the continued collection of taxes dating back to 1936, despite authorities being aware of the issue, leaves Clarmond feeling like they have been treated unfairly.
The President hinted at potential legal action if necessary, citing the possibility of further fighting the dispute on behalf of the club's members. The email ended with Bowman expressing gratitude for the initial reporting on the matter by Lee van der Linden and how it has shed light on the complex issue.
The Wright County Supervisors plan to address the issue during their next meeting.
