The City of Poway, population 50,000, is located in San Diego County, California. It lies north of the city of San Diego and south of the city of Escondido. The city was incorporated only recently in December of 1980. Poway is nicknamed “The City in the Country” due to its largely rural roots.
The City of Poway may have been settled as early as the 1700’s, when Spanish padres began raising cattle in the area. Poway has a rich history of agriculture, with later settlers harvesting a variety of fruit, grain and dairy products. Although the area’s soil is very fertile, the city did not immediately experience large-scale population growth because of the lack of available water sources. Population growth began only in 1954, when the town established the Poway Municipal Water District, which irrigates Poway land using water from the Colorado River Aqueduct. As water flowed into the town, so did more people. Today Poway is less agricultural and functions more as a residential area for employees who work in the San Diego urban districts.
A recent civil lawsuit illustrates how Poway’s economy revolves around residential development and water resources. Known locally as “The Rexford Saga”, the case involved a utilities dispute between City Councilwoman Betty Rexford and her neighbors, the Wu family. Dating back to 1999, the conflict concerned whether the Wus should be allowed to have their utilities built underground, and who should pay for the labor. The dispute was further aggravated in 2003 when the Wu’s contractor dug a trench in their backyard and damaged the power and water lines of the Rexford residence. The Rexfords obtained $495,000 in a settlement in August 2009. The Wu’s also sought $1million in damages, also claiming property damage, and that Rexford harassed them and used her position as a Poway councilwoman as leverage against them. The suit has since led to a movement to recall Rexford from her position as councilwoman. The Wu family was denied the $1million damages claim.
Disputes over
property boundaries and utility construction can involve large amounts of financial investment. In such disputes, it is very important to secure legal representation in order to protect one’s property interests. Using
LegalMatch.com can help you find the right lawyer in the City of Poway. LegalMatch is an online service that matches clients with attorneys for free.
Legal cases arising in the City of Poway are heard in the San Diego County Superior Court of California. The Superior Court has jurisdiction over all criminal and civil cases, including felonies and misdemeanors, as well as family law and juvenile matters.
For more information on legal resources in the City of Poway, be sure to visit the following websites: