The long, strange legal battle between a northern Ontario town and the composer of Sign of the Gypsy Queen

The writer of a classic Canadian rock song has lost his latest in a long string of legal battles with the municipality of West Nipissing.

Lorence Hudfirst released Sign of the Gypsy Queenin 1972and it later became a big hit forCanadian rock band April Wine in 1981.

Last week, the Supreme Court of Canada turned down his latest attempt to sue the northern Ontariotown, its police board and a long list of others over the seizure of his rural home south of Verner.

Court records show Hud bought the property off Highway 64 in 2003 and moved there with his sister. In April 2007, he wrote to West Nipissingtown staff complaining that a nearby municipal drain was not being kept clear of debris and was becoming a "magnet to attract beavers."

Just a few days after he sent that letter, the road to his property caved in.Hud's neighbours complained, but the court heard that he refused to allowtown staff onto his land to make the necessary repairs.

In 2010, the municipality received a "permanent injunction" from a public official known as a drainage referee allowing town staff to go onto the property, describing Hud as "very obstinate," "unreasonable" and "ruled by his own selfish agenda."

The drainage referee also ordered that the town'slegal costs of $1,000 be addedto Hud's property tax bill, along with the $14,000 it cost to repair the culvert.

Hudtried to sue West Nipissing in 2011, but his motion was dismissed and he was ordered to pay the town another $4,000 in legal fees.

In 2014, he sued the Attorney General of Canada, seeking $28 million in damages.

'Extinguished his desire to write music'

Court documents show Hud had tried to"convince the Prime Minister of Canada and the Minister of Justice to intervene and quash what he calls the illegal courts," but neither politician would meet with him.

He also claimed the prime minister was responsible for numerous harassing phone calls he was receiving at the time.

Hudtoldto the court that the "illegal bill" that had been added to his property taxes violated his constitutional rights, affected his mother's health and"extinguished his desire to write music."

The judge described his arguments as "confusing" and "unreasonable" and dismissedthecase, ordering him to pay $300 to the federal government for legal costs.

In 2015, Hud asked the Supreme Court of Canada to overrule that decision, but it refused to hear his case.

By 2017, the unpaid repair bill he owed the municipality of West Nipissing had grown to over $39,000. The town put the property up for tax sale and it was purchased by a numbered company for$180,000.

Court records show that when told of the sale, Hud"reacted violently"and armed himself with a pistol. West Nipissing staff say following a 30-hour stand-off with police, he was arrested and charged with a crime.

He went to a court later that year to get an injunction giving him"immediate exclusive possession of the property," but was turned down.

Hud thenfiled a lawsuit against the Municipality of West Nipissing, the local police board, the new owners of his home and a long list of others, but it was dismissed by the court in 2021, along with an order that he pay $5,000 to his opponents for their legal expenses.

Last week, Hud petitioned the Supreme Court to hear his appeal and possibly overturn that decision, but it was dismissed and he was once again ordered to pay the costs of those he was taking to court.