Attention Property Owners in Moorpark: Groundwater Lawsuit Explained

You may have recently received a Notice in the mail with court papers sent by an entity called JND Legal Administration regarding the existence of a lawsuit entitled Las Posas Valley Water Rights Coalition (and others) versus Fox Canyon Groundwater Management Agency (and others).  You received this Notice because you are a property owner in Moorpark.  The law provides that you, as a property owner are entitled to know about the existence of this lawsuit.  The lawsuit seeks to have the court allocate water rights (also called an adjudication of water rights) within a particular portion of the Las Posas groundwater basin.  Moorpark overlies that groundwater basin.  Even though JND Legal Administration’s letterhead refers to its work as an administrator of class action lawsuits, this lawsuit and the Notice you received is not a notice of a class action lawsuit.  Rather, it is a Notice required by state law that all property owners who own land that overly the particular Las Posas water basin be informed of the lawsuit.  The City is aware of the lawsuit.  However, the City of Moorpark did not send the Notice and was not asked to provide input into the Notice before it was sent out.  

This Notice and the related paperwork is provided so that if a property owner wants to individually obtain a right to extract water from the groundwater basin, or preserve his or her right to continue doing so in the future, he or she will not be allowed to do so once the adjudication of the water rights in the case is completed.  The only way for a property owner to preserve that right is to become a participant in this lawsuit.   However, property owners in Moorpark obtain their water through County Waterworks District No. 1 and they do not need to participate in this lawsuit in order to maintain their ability to be served water from Waterworks District No. 1.   If you are a landowner who has an existing water well on your property or you want to preserve a potential right to extract water for your private use from that groundwater basin, you should obtain legal advice from an attorney as to this Notice.  Also, if you have any other questions regarding this matter, you should either consult your own attorney or contact JND Legal Administration (1-833-291-1643).   

To view a copy of the JND Legal Administration packet sent to property owners, click here.

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