Nestled four hours north of Saskatoon, Keeley Lake Lodge stands as a serene retirement community now overshadowed by a bitter legal dispute.
At the core of this turmoil is Tim Cimmer, a resident of Saskatchewan, caught up in a complex web of deception made by the former owner, Charles Niessner, along with his wife Madelyn, from the USA. This challenging situation has been further complicated by a series of lazy lawyers and judges in Canada who have been passively participating in a legal process that seems influenced by a U.S.-based kangaroo court. This puzzling scenario persists to the present day.
Cimmer’s family has been tied to Keeley Lake Lodge for over four decades, building cherished memories in a cabin next to the lodge, which has easements on the surrounding land. The story begins with the lodge being part of the Laronge, Saskatchewan subdivision. In 1998, Charlie Niessner, the original owner, sold 60% of his shares to another American, Richard Lunemann.
The documentation is thorough, covering all share certificates and transaction records that explicitly identify Richard Lunemann as the legal 60% owner and Charlie Niessner as the holder of the remaining 40%. These records have been meticulously managed by the law firm of Ben Partika in Meadow Lake, SK, for over 17 years. The validation of these transactions is supported by registered land titles, ISC reports, and CRA filings.
In 2010, a rift between Niessner and Lunemann led to a situation where collusion surfaced, intending to bypass immigration and labor laws associated with the operation of the lodge and its hunting activities. This arrangement revealed intricate issues related to tax evasion, a matter they both acknowledged in court as organized fraud, often euphemistically referred to as a “Sham” designed to mislead the Canadian government.
Over a period of 20 years, undisclosed financial transactions were revealed, directing hunting profits into a New Jersey bank account to evade taxes in both Canada and the U.S. This strategy led to the accumulation of an astonishing sum, surpassing one million dollars, obtained from the Saskatchewan Government.
In 2010, tensions peaked when a disagreement led to Niessner cutting off financial ties with Richard over the sale of Charles Niessner’s drywall company in New Jersey. The discord escalated further 2012 as Niessner, in collaboration with Wes Bousquet, covertly sold government campgrounds land at Keeley Lake for over a million dollars, keeping the transaction concealed from the Saskatchewan government.
In 2015, the longstanding dispute between Niessner and Richard reached its peak, leading to a lawsuit initiated by Niessner against Richard in the United States. Recognizing the inability to establish a legitimate case in Canada, Niessner aimed to bankrupt Richard and acquire his 60% stake. Faced with desperation, Richard sought assistance from Tim Cimmer in November 2015. The goal was to prevent the lodge from being sold, a dire situation that would permanently damage the grounds. This triggered an unforeseen chain of events, including rampant corruption, numerous instances of neglecting Canadian law within a small retirement community, and significant financial sacrifices on the part of Tim Cimmer. He stepped in with the belief that justice would prevail through the legal system, determined to prevent any injustice from occurring.
Exercising thorough due diligence, Cimmer enlisted the services of esteemed law firms—Kloppenburg & Kloppenburg, Mckercher, Friedman, Hood, and MLT—to meticulously examine the corporate records. All these reputable firms reached a unanimous agreement, affirming that the documents were legally sound and had been appropriately registered for more than 17 years, per the scrutiny of the ISC, CRA, land titles, and adherence to all relevant Saskatchewan laws.
In an effort to minimize the likelihood of a legal battle, Mr. Cimmer proactively invested over $46,000 in securing two key contracts. These contracts, a share option agreement, and a loan agreement, were meticulously crafted by MLT and executed under the careful supervision of Jim Kerby and John Agioritis.
A series of legal representatives—Henry Kloppenburg, Mckercher (George Green), and MLT (Jim Kerby)—left Mr. Cimmer in a challenging situation. Hood Beaunie (Bill Hood) not only overcharged but also left him poorly prepared to confront Niessner’s relentless legal attacks, involving Tortious Interference with Cimmer’s contracts, an intent to deceive the Canadian government, and various other mischievous actions. The then-current legal representative, The Hood Firm, seemed ineffective, facing challenges in understanding the details of a statute of limitations and basic contract law. The Hood Firm exhibited negligence and failed in its fiduciary duties to Mr. Cimmer by not applying the appropriate legal principles, resulting in an average monthly legal cost exceeding $30,000. Furthermore, they directed Mr. Cimmer to fight the same case filed differently in the USA, forcing him to contend with a legal battle involving a Canadian company spanning both the USA and Canada.
Confronting monthly expenses ranging between $25,000 and $80,000, Cimmer has invested a remarkable $2,129,000 in a legal battle over a lodge valued at $835,000. The challenge is intensified by the absence of fiduciary duties among legal choices in Saskatchewan and the persistent pressure from Niessner’s legal team.
In this high-stakes confrontation, Cimmer is pursuing justice against alleged criminal activities, which encompass fraud, tax evasion, and a complex legal onslaught. Led by Niessner, an individual facing charges for hunting without a license multiple times in Saskatchewan, the Keeley Lake Lodge case unfolds as a narrative of greed and manipulation.
