The Idaho Supreme Court issued an opinion January 6 in *Stasiewicz v. South Henry's Lake Outlet Homeowners Association*, a complex property dispute that involved dozens of parties in the Henry's Lake area. Edward and Barbara Stasiewicz, a married couple, brought the lawsuit against their homeowners association and more than 30 other property owners and entities in the recreational lake community.
The case, docket number 52313, was heard during the Idaho Supreme Court's October 2025 term in Pocatello. The opinion was filed by Clerk Melanie Gagnepain on January 6, 2026, marking the resolution of what appears to be one of the most complex multi-party property disputes to reach the state's highest court in recent years.
The Stasiewicz family served as plaintiffs-appellants in the case, indicating they appealed an unfavorable lower court ruling. They faced an extensive list of defendants that reads like a directory of Henry's Lake property ownership, including the South Henry's Lake Outlet Homeowners Association, a nonprofit corporation that governs the residential community.
Among the numerous defendants were multiple family trusts, including the Lidgate Bigler Trust and Sherwin Bigler Trust, represented by trustees Michael Eric Bigler and Diane Gail Bigler. The Johnson Family Trust, represented by trustees Todd Johnson and Marcia Johnson, was also named, along with the Ward Family Trust and the Todd and Diane Bowen Trust.
The case also involved numerous limited liability companies with ties to the area, including BDS, LLC, an Idaho company; Henry's Lake Cabin, LLC, a Utah entity; Baker Family Cabin, LLC; Goodwin Heritage, LLC; Sawtelle, LLC; HNH Properties, LLC from Utah; Thompson Brothers, LLC; SLEA 487, LLC from Utah; Lake Escape, LLC; and Harvest Home, LLC. Several limited partnerships were also defendants, including Dominion Investments, Ltd. from Utah and Noskire Company, LP from Idaho.
Individual property owners named in the lawsuit included Ronald J. Jenkins, Jack Sommer, James Keith Kelly Jr., Michael Kent and Leslie Patrice Taylor (a married couple), James W. Fehlig and Angelique J. Fehlig (also married), Trent Cichos and Karie Cichos (husband and wife), Patricia Snyder, Ann B. Smith and Darren L. Smith (married), Carol Janet Schley, and Pete (whose full name was not included in the available case caption).
Additional defendants included Rudd Ventures, LLC, an Idaho limited liability company, suggesting the dispute may have involved commercial or investment properties in addition to residential holdings around Henry's Lake.
The extensive list of parties suggests this was likely a dispute involving common areas, shared facilities, association governance, or property boundaries that affected multiple lots or units within the South Henry's Lake Outlet community. Homeowners association disputes often involve issues such as assessment collection, covenant enforcement, common area maintenance, or governance disputes between individual property owners and association boards.
Henry's Lake, located in southeastern Idaho near the Montana border, is a popular recreational destination known for fishing and vacation homes. The area has seen significant development in recent decades, with many properties organized under homeowners associations that manage shared amenities and enforce community standards.
The fact that the case reached the Idaho Supreme Court indicates it likely involved significant legal questions about property rights, association powers, or community governance that lower courts needed guidance to resolve. Property disputes involving homeowners associations often center on the scope of association authority, the validity of covenants or bylaws, assessment collection procedures, or due process requirements for enforcement actions.
The multi-party nature of the case suggests it may have involved issues that affected the entire community rather than a dispute between individual neighbors. Common scenarios that generate such widespread litigation include disputes over major capital improvements, changes to community amenities, assessment increases, or fundamental governance changes that require community-wide resolution.
The case was assigned to the Idaho Supreme Court's October 2025 term held in Pocatello, one of several locations where the court holds sessions throughout the year to provide greater access to oral arguments for parties and attorneys across the state.
While the complete details of the court's ruling were not immediately available, the resolution of *Stasiewicz v. South Henry's Lake* will likely provide important precedent for future homeowners association disputes in Idaho. The case demonstrates the complex legal relationships that can develop in planned communities and the potential for individual property disputes to escalate into community-wide litigation involving dozens of parties and multiple legal entities.
The opinion's filing on January 6, 2026, brings closure to what was likely a lengthy and expensive legal battle for all parties involved in this Henry's Lake community dispute.