The McLeod County Administration building had it's entrances posted banning guns ever since the law went into effect. I called the McLeod County administrator and explained to here that they could not post that building or any other county building unless the courthouse was attached to it (and then it doesn't need to be posted because it's written into the law). The Mcelod County admisistrator tried to rationalize why they had put the signs up (lots of money going thorugh here during tax season you know) and I explained to her that none of that mattered and they need to take the signs down to be in comliance with 624.714. She asked me to submit my request in writing and she would present it at the next county board meeting.

I wrote up the letter and emailed it to attorney David Gross and had him review it for propoer use of legalese and to make sure it didn't sound too threatening and he emailed it back with his comments. I mailed it out emailed it out to the County administrator, the County attorney, and the County Sheriff. Three days later I got an email fromt he county administratorstating it would be reviewed at the County board meeting on October 6th and they would get back to me. I got a letter and an emial yesterday atating the signs had been put up in haste when the law was passed and they agree that they are not in compliance with 624.714 and will be immediately taken down.

Again, Score one for the good guys!!! I am taking on the Hutchinson shopping mall now under the landlord/tennent clause!!! Those that don't support MPPA still have to abide by the law, don't let them get away with illegal postings!!!!

Good job.

Very nicely done, Jerry. And while I didn't know anything about it, color me unsurprised that you were smart enough to get David involved, and that he was helpful.

I'll be interested to see the outcome of the Hutchinson shopping mall posting. The Miller Hill Mall in Duluth is posted on the entry doors (I've just been ignoring the signs).

If anyone could come up with a well written letter that works please post it. I'd be glad to send it to businesses and government agencies that are posting and shouldn't be.

I agree with gunflint, I'd love to get a copy of a well written, "legalease" letter to send to the Henn Cnty Service Centers.

Durbin,

I would like a copy too please.

Thank you.

If you want to send it to me, I can host it or find an online host for it and place a link in this thread.

With permission of the author of the letter (I don't normally need to say the obvious, but today's kind of a special day ) I have no objection at all to the letter being posted here.

And think it would be kinda neat.

I will post the letter here tonight when I get home for all to use!! (Althought I will have to charge $700 to view it, $300 to become a member of Legalese Writers Inc, $250 for training on how to submit it, and $125 for Stamps and envelopes!)

Dear Mr. Junge and Ms. Crary,

Your immediate attention is required on this matter to insure McLeod County is in compliance with Minnesota State law. I have made a reasonable request in person to Sheriff Vinkemeier regarding this issue and also have made a reasonable telephone request to McLeod County Administrator Nan Crary. This letter is being sent to you upon request of Nan Crary, McLeod County Administrator in regards to the telephone conversation Ms. Crary and I had regarding a sign banning guns that is posted on the front entrance to the McLeod County Office building (AKA North Annex) in Glencoe, MN which houses the Treasurer’s office, Auditor’s office, County Recorder, Assessor’s office and the License Bureau.

The sign in question (see picture attached) “bans guns on these premises” (hereinafter referred to as “the sign”) and the posting of this sign places McLeod County in violation of Minnesota Statute 624.714. The sign measuring 17” X 22” is posted on the front entrance of the McLeod County North Annex building and is done in black text and graphics on a white background. Because the McLeod County Office Building (AKA North Annex) is not a private establishment and is in fact a government building (but it is not a courthouse) signs of this nature cannot be posted in or on any of the county owned and/or operated buildings or properties with the exception of the county courthouse. City, State, and County offices are all government entities and are not permitted under MN Statute 624.714 to ban guns or post signs banning guns on or in their buildings. The sign on the North Annex building needs to be taken down right away. If there are other signs in or on other McLeod County buildings, with the exception of the county courthouse, you must remove these signs as well for the same reason of law listed above. Because the sign is not in compliance with MN Statute 624.714 it is also not enforceable by local, county, or state law enforcement agencies and citizens who possess a Minnesota Permit to Carry a Pistol shall not be prosecuted for not acknowledging the sign. I have had an in depth discussion with Sheriff Wayne Vinkemeier regarding the posting of this sign and he said he would bring it up at the board meeting last week. I have not spoken to Wayne since he and I met but he did indicate he would discuss the matter directly with Ms Crary. Sheriff Vinkemeir is also aware that the posting of signs banning guns on city, county, or state building is not permissible.

I would like to formally request all information and documentation (in writing) that you have including agenda(s) for meetings discussing the posting of the sign, county board meeting(s) minutes discussing the posting of the sign, the names of the people on the board who decided the sign would be posted. If the sign posting was not voted on or decided on by the county board I would like the name or names of the people who made the decision to post the sign and any documentation regarding the posting of the sign. Please send all requested information to me by certified mail to the address below. I have been advised by my attorney, who is well versed in MN 624.714, on this issue and he has indicated that McLeod County needs to comply with MN Statute 624.714 or they could be subject to suit and that I should also notify Minnesota Attorney General Mike Hatch and SAC Jeff Luther of the BCA if we can’t resolve this problem in a timely manner. If you have any questions of me regarding this request please contact me at the numbers or email address below. I want to thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.



Sincerely,


Jerry & Tina Durbin
Durbin’s Defensive Handgun Training
(612) 703-1472 days
(320) 328-5240 evenings
durbin@LL.net

Sheesh, just like the $600 leather holster with the "spacer" to keep its shape...

This is the letter that the McLeod County Administrator sent in response to my letter requesting them to remove the signs.


Mr. Durbin – in response to your e-mail of Thursday, Sept 8th, 2005, you will find attached the data I have on file related to signs posted at our county buildings. Due to the short lead time between the law being passed and the effective date, the matter of signs posted at county buildings was not dealt with at a County Board meeting. We are researching your question and plan to present our findings to the County Board at their meeting on Oct. 6, 2005.


Let me know if you have any other questions.


Nan Crary
McLeod County
830 11th St. E, Suite 110
Glencoe, MN 55336
320-864-1324
320-864-3410 (fax)

This is the 2nd letter McLeod County sent me telling me they decided they were not in compliance and that they would be taking the signs down.

Mr. Durbin – Following research by the County Attorney, we have been advised by way of a legal opinion that County Attorney Michael Junge believes the county no longer has authority to ban firearms from any building that is not directly attached to the courthouse facilities. As a result, effective September 25th, 2005, the sign in question has been removed from the North Complex. Therefore this matter will not be discussed by the County Board at their meeting on Oct. 6, 2005.



Let me know if you have any questions.


Nan Crary
McLeod County
830 11th St. E, Suite 110
Glencoe, MN 55336
320-864-1324
320-864-3410 (fax)

I think that the letter that I sent to McLeod county would work well for people that want to be proactive towards getting signs taken down at shopping malls or just about anywhere else with a little re-wording. The big changes I am making are specifically going to be geared towards quoting the Landlord/Tennent clause of 624.714. I am going to ad this because McLeod County has a County attorney and he can look the statute up himself and try to decipher it, with shopping mall managers I think it would be easier to get the point across if the exact Sub of the statute were quoted. Of course, I would hope any shopping mall dumb enough to post would already have a high power attorney on retainer ready to fight the lawsuits for non-compliant sign posting. I will post a new version with the verbage for landlord tennent when I get it done sometime today or tomorrow.

Jerry,

I look forward to seeing the Landlord/Tennent clause letter as well.

Thank You,
Dorian