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72 °F Forecast | Road Cams Monday, August 30, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Prime Times Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend July 3, 2004 Procedural questions on Medford arrest linger By SARAH LEMON Mail Tribune Ignoring court orders to vacate their home landed a Medford couple in jail. Wayne and Lola Breeze were arrested late Thursday night en route to their home in Sunridge Estates from a Britt Festival concert. They were released from jail Friday afternoon but had no home to which they could return. In compliance with a court order, Jackson County sheriff’s deputies turned the Breezes’ house over to the Sunridge Estates Homeowners Association, which bought it at auction in December. Neighbor Kathy Horner said she complained to Jackson County Sheriff Mike Winters about deputies’ treatment of the Breezes, who were dropping off her 8-year-old daughter when they were surrounded by patrol cars. The deputies had guns drawn and handcuffed the Breezes while her child looked on, Horner said. "This is such an abuse of power," Horner said. Lola Breeze, 56, said she didn’t understand why such measures were necessary, although neighbors have called the sheriff’s department in the past and reported her husband was shooting off guns. Wayne Breeze, 64, also has held a concealed weapons permit, she said. Advertisement "They were hoping that (Wayne) was packing without his permit ... and they spent a long time looking for a gun," Lola Breeze said. Winters said deputies had information that Wayne Breeze may have posed a threat to deputies, who Winters said likely acted within the scope of department policy. Three deputies performed the arrest, he said, adding that he knew officers were planning on serving warrants against the Breezes. Reports on the arrest were not available Friday, Winters said. The couple met Friday with Winters, who said he would help retrieve personal items. The Breezes had been lodged in the Jackson County Jail on misdemeanor charges of contempt of court. The charges were filed after the couple failed to show up for a March hearing in Jackson County Circuit Court regarding the sale of their house at 7159 Pine Ridge Drive, according to court documents. Warrants were issued for their arrest in March. The Breezes were released on their own recognizance before appearing in court on the charges. Because the Breezes had ignored orders to leave their home, attorneys for the Sunridge Estates Homeowners Association asked for the court’s assistance. Circuit Court Judge Phil Arnold on Monday authorized the sheriff to "immediately eject" the couple from the property, using force if necessary. The homeowners association purchased the Breezes’ 5,000-square-foot home on five acres for $32,146, the amount owed to the association, which prevailed over the couple in a civil lawsuit. The court authorized the real estate sale after the Breezes refused to pay money awarded to the association. Filed in 1997, the lawsuit arose out of a dispute over water use and the Breezes’ failure to pay the association for water service. The association also sought to restrain the Breezes from unauthorized excavating that threatened to result in landslides and erosion, according to court documents. Sunridge Estates was the first planned residential development in an unincorporated area of the county. The 200-acre subdivision near Roxy Ann Peak consists of 36 homes, priced between $500,000 and $1.5 million. Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities