Louisiana court backs homeowner's right to block neighbours from private road beyond 1,000 feet

Living beside a quiet country road in French Settlement, Louisiana, Mona Matherne spent more than ten years trying to stop her neighbours from using a private stretch of land that passes her home. On Friday, 6 November 2026, state appeals judges brought the long-running dispute to an end. They ruled that the 73-year-old landowner has the legal right to stop her neighbours from driving beyond the first 1,000 feet of the unpaved road.

The Louisiana Court of Appeal for the First Circuit upheld an earlier decision in the case of Mona Matherne v. Marshall and Mark Parker. The dispute first went to the local courts in 2015.

The appeals court also confirmed her property rights and kept a permanent court order in place. The order prevents her neighbours from entering the private section of the road or harassing her in any way.Origin of the decade long rural boundary feudMatherne bought her country home at 18400 Legion Road in French Settlement in 2007. Her property runs along the eastern side of the road, which connects directly to Louisiana Highway 16.