Prince George, B.C. – A Prince George resident has received a letter from a Vancouver lawyer acting on behalf of the City of Prince George and the Mayor, threatening legal action in connection with a series of complaints the resident had levelled over how he was treated in a flood claim.

Laurie MacIntosh had complained to the City that he believes  that as a result of the City failing to open up a culvert near his home at 7322 Thompson Dr., he suffered about $30,000 dollars in flood damage.

An Independent Insurance adjuster found that in their opinion the City was not responsible. MacIntosh disagrees.

MacIntosh set up a web site and continued his complaints to the City.

On February 1^st 2012, MacIntosh received a letter threatening a defamation action. The writer suggested that the letter cannot be published on the internet. Opinion250 is looking into the legal justification of the suggestion that the letter can’t be published.

At the same time the BC Civil Liberties Association has become involved in the dispute. Robert Holmes Q.C, President of the BCCLA has written a letter to the litigation counsel for the City of Prince George and Mayor Shari Green.

In his letter Holmes says “The BC Civil Liberties Association is deeply concerned by the strategic use of the threat of defamation lawsuits by governments against their citizens. As you are well aware, defending a lawsuit brought about by a powerful litigant is enormously costly for a private citizen in terms of time, money and emotional energy. Indeed such lawsuits are tantamount to an attack on a person’s fundamental well being."

He concludes by saying that he hopes the threat of a law suit will be dropped against Mr. MacIntosh and that the complaints be  addressed "through more appropriate administrative channels. "

That letter was sent March 6th, and the  lawyer for the City and Mayor has not yet issued a response.