GARDNER The land is stark, rolling desert, unsuitable for crops, far from city lights and unlikely to tempt a profit-driven developer. To Gary Lensky, an Orthodox Jew who had spent years seeking spiritual enlightenment in India and Israel, the barren Colorado landscape with its panoramic mountain views suggested a life in touch with a higher power and being at peace with the world.

The land, he thought, would be the perfect home for a retreat where Orthodox Israelis could come to meditate.

During his 17 years on the property, Lensky's dream of creating a haven for the religious has degenerated into a bitter land feud marked by tense, explosive confrontations and costly litigation.

Neighbors claim he has tried to steal their land, and Lensky accuses them of anti-Semitism.

In the course of the dispute, Lensky has employed at least four lawyers and spent almost $200,000 to win a 22-acre scrap of property that the county assessor valued at $13,450 in 2012.

Neighbors say they can scarce afford the legal bills they have racked up in the dispute, news of which has made its way into the pages of the Jeru salem Post.

Lensky, who said fear engendered by the actions of his neighbors keeps him trapped in his home, describes his life this way: "Basically, what I do for a living is defend my right to exist."

Neighbors scoff at his claims, some suggesting that he is mentally unbalanced.

But those on both sides agree with resident Charles "Chuck" Choin who said: "It really has gotten ugly."

Claiming the plot

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Desert retreat leads to ugly land battle in Gardner