Dozens of neighbors crowded the roadside along Gibson Road in Landrum Wednesday, May 5 brandishing neon orange signs reading, “We back the Williams” and “Who appointed you gate keeper?”
These residents said they came out in support of the Williams family of Campobello, who have, according to Eleanor Williams, been blocked from their farmland by Ramon and Cynthia Norden.
“We are farmers, we bought the property in 1975 and we have an easement on their property for us to get to our bottom land,” Eleanor Williams said. “The lady that owns the property now has had it for three years and has blocked us in with a pick-up truck. We figured it was going to happen.”
Ramon Norden said he and his wife wished to work with the Williams, who own property adjoining theirs, but said efforts failed.
“We didn’t want to prohibit a farmer from getting to his farm but we are very concerned about privacy issues and safety issues,” Norden said.
Norden added that he and his wife were aware of the easement when they purchased the property three years ago. He said even then there was a gate at the entrance of the easement.
“There is a gate with a lock on it; they have a key and we have a key,” Norden said.
Eleanor Williams said the gate has been there for years because the prior owners were concerned about people riding four wheelers through the property. She said jumping off a parked tractor directly beside a busy roadway to lock the gate back would be dangerous. Williams claims Cindy Norden had the locks changed, forcing Williams’ son to use a crowbar to get the lock off.
The Williams’ son, Nathan, said one day while he was working in his family’s bottomland, the Nordens changed the lock. He said he called the Spartanburg Sheriff’s Office, which told them they were able to cut the lock.
“We have been locked in, we have equipment locked in. We have told her all we want to do is get in there and plant the crops and she will not budge,” Nathan said.
The Williamses filed a formal complaint Saturday with the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office regarding the issue.
Ramon Norden said, “All we have asked is that they close the gate when they go through our property and let us know when they allow others to be out there,” Norden said.
Norden said they’ve had issues with people, not the owners, driving through at eight o’clock at night because the Williamses or other parties have told them, “Yeah, go on through there and go hunting.”
“They wouldn’t be liable for anything that happened along that easement, we would be – all we ask is that they keep that gate closed and if they are inviting someone onto the property that they at least let us know,” Norden said.