MARA Sues to Block Texas County Vote Creating Town Around Its Bitcoin Mine \ stacker news ~bitcoin

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MARA Sues to Block Texas County Vote Creating Town Around Its Bitcoin Mine theminermag.com/news/2025-11-03/mara-sue-texas-vote-bitcoin

128 sats \ 6 comments \ @k00b 18h bitcoin_Mining

MARA claims the proposed town boundaries were “drawn just to encircle” its site, giving local residents regulatory power to “tax and regulate it out of business.”

The dispute stems from neighborhood opposition to the large-scale air-cooled bitcoin mining facility, which MARA acquired in early 2024. The company began mitigating noise last summer by transitioning to immersion cooling technology, which submerges mining machines in liquid coolant to dampen sound.

At the time, MARA said it had installed a 24-foot acoustical wall, moved fan-cooled units farther from homes, and expected the new immersion containers to be fully deployed by year’s end. Despite these steps, tensions persisted.

You can't upset people's day-to-day life for years then expect them to not want to punish you. I also can't imagine this kind of small government formation for dealing with nuisances is common.

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33 sats \ 3 replies \ @kepford 18h

Yeah, this seems unusual and MARA or companies like them have to do a good job being a good neighbor.

Even if they win the lawsuit that's hardly a good way to win.

0 sats \ 2 replies \ @Bell_curve 16h

We need to hear both sides before we render a verdict.

If it doesn’t fit you must acquit

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @kepford 16h

I mean... its none of my business. I don't live there or own MARA.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Bell_curve 6h

I own Mara so I guess it is my business

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @Bell_curve 6h

Residents, organized under a group called Citizens Concerned About Wolf Hollow and represented by the environmental law firm Earthjustice, sued the company in 2024 for private nuisance but later lost a related noise case in county court.

The law firm is called Earth justice? I'm siding with Mara. I own shares of Mara, another coincidence.

Internal emails cited in the filing show officials acknowledging defects in the petition— such as inconsistent city names and missing boundary maps—while pushing it through regardless.

Bitcoin mining giant MARA has filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block a planned Nov. 4 local election in Hood County, Texas, alleging that county officials unlawfully placed a municipal incorporation measure on the ballot to target its data center operations.

In the 47-page complaint filed on Oct. 27 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, MARA accuses Hood County, County Judge Ron Massingill, County Attorney Matt Mills, and Elections Administrator Stephanie Cooper of “intentional and unconstitutional” conduct in approving a ballot initiative to create a new municipality called Mitchell Bend around MARA’s mining facility near Granbury.

From Gemini: 📰 Judge Denies MARA's Request to Block Election

A federal judge in Fort Worth has denied Marathon Digital Holdings' (MARA) request for a temporary restraining order to block the November 4 election in Hood County, Texas, which includes a measure for the municipal incorporation of Mitchell Bend.

Here is a summary of the situation:

The Lawsuit: MARA filed a 47-page complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas on October 27, alleging that Hood County officials acted "intentional and unconstitutional" in placing the municipal incorporation measure on the ballot. MARA claims the incorporation effort is specifically designed to target its data center operations near Granbury with punitive taxes and restrictive ordinances, including noise regulations. The company argued the proposed town's boundaries were "drawn just to encircle" its site.
The Defendants: The suit names Hood County, County Judge Ron Massingill, County Attorney Matt Mills, and Elections Administrator Stephanie Cooper as defendants.
The Residents' Goal: Residents of the unincorporated Mitchell Bend area have been campaigning to incorporate to gain the power to create a noise ordinance and regulate the Bitcoin mine, which they say has been causing them serious health problems and noise pollution since it was built in 2022.
The Judge's Ruling: Judge Reed O'Connor rejected MARA's request to block the election, stating that the company could not prove a "substantial threat of irreparable harm" and that issuing a preliminary injunction would not "disserve the public interest." The judge noted that MARA can still challenge the validity of the election and the creation of 'Mitchell Bend' even if the incorporation vote succeeds.
Status of the Election: The question of incorporating Mitchell Bend remains on the ballot for the November 4 election.

The incorporation effort, if approved by the residents, would create a Type B municipality in Texas, granting the new city the authority to enact local ordinances, such as noise regulations, to address the concerns of the community regarding the Bitcoin mine.

The federal judge in Fort Worth who denied MARA's request for a temporary restraining order was:

Judge: Reed C. O'Connor
- Judge O'Connor is the Chief Judge for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Fort Worth Division.
Appointed By: President George W. Bush
- He was nominated by President Bush in June 2007, confirmed by the Senate in November 2007, and received his commission shortly thereafter.

🏛️ Case Citation Information

The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas (Fort Worth Division).

While the full citation for the ruling on the Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) would follow a specific legal format (which is not immediately available in the public news reports), the case itself is formally titled:

Case Name: Marathon Digital Holdings, Inc. et al. v. Hood County, Texas, et al.
Court: U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas

The ruling was a Denial of the Motion for a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) against the defendants.

⚖️ Status of MARA's Federal Lawsuit

While Judge Reed O'Connor denied MARA's emergency request to block the election, the core federal lawsuit filed by Marathon Digital Holdings against Hood County officials is still active and moving forward.

Here is what we know about the ongoing case:

The Lawsuit's Core Claim: MARA's main goal in the federal suit is to have the court declare the entire Mitchell Bend incorporation effort unconstitutional and invalid.
Judge O'Connor's Path: When he denied the request for a temporary restraining order (TRO), Judge O'Connor specifically noted that MARA could still "challenge the validity of the election and the creation of 'Mitchell Bend' after the results are certified." The judge essentially allowed the democratic process (the election) to proceed while preserving MARA's right to challenge the outcome's legality.
The Current Focus: MARA's legal team is now expected to proceed with the lawsuit to argue that the incorporation measure was an unlawful abuse of local government power and was specifically drawn to target the company with punitive taxes and restrictive ordinances (like noise limits).
New Legal Opponent: The successful incorporation means that MARA is now legally battling not just Hood County officials but the newly formed municipality of Mitchell Bend, which is directly empowered to create the very noise ordinances MARA sought to avoid.

In essence, the legal fight has moved from a pre-election attempt to block the vote to a post-election challenge to invalidate the new city itself and its subsequent regulatory authority over the mine.

Other Related Legal Challenges

It's important to note that this is only one of the legal challenges facing the Bitcoin mine:

State Nuisance Lawsuit: A separate lawsuit filed in Texas State Court by a community group, "Citizens Concerned About Wolf Hollow," is also active. This suit alleges that the constant, loud operation of the Bitcoin mine constitutes a private nuisance that harms the health and well-being of local residents.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Bell_curve 6h

Gemini:

🏛️ Lawsuit: MARA Holdings, Inc. et al. v. Hood County, Texas, et al.

This case, filed on October 27, 2025, is the focus of the battle to either block or invalidate the creation of the new municipality of Mitchell Bend.

Here is a summary of the complaint and the current status as of today, November 4, 2025 (Election Day):

📜 The Allegations in the 47-Page Complaint

MARA's complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas (Case No. 4:25-cv-01202-O), makes several serious allegations against Hood County officials:

Intentional and Unconstitutional Conduct: MARA claims the county officials acted with the explicit intent to harm MARA's business, which violates the company's constitutional rights.
Unlawful Targeting: MARA alleges the proposed town boundaries were "drawn just to encircle" its facility near Granbury, giving the new municipality regulatory power to "tax and regulate it out of business."
Violation of State Law: The suit argues that the county violated multiple provisions of the Texas Local Government Code regarding municipal incorporations, including requirements for population, boundaries, and pre-existing community status.
Collusion: MARA's filing implies that County Judge Ron Massingill, County Attorney Matt Mills, and Elections Administrator Stephanie Cooper worked with the opposing residents (like the group Citizens Concerned About Wolf Hollow) to improperly fast-track the measure onto the ballot.

📰 Status Update as of November 4, 2025

Judge Reed O'Connor denied MARA's request to block the election.

The Ruling: On Monday, November 3, 2025, Judge O'Connor denied MARA's Motion for a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) to halt the election scheduled for today.
The Reasoning: The judge ruled that MARA failed to prove a "substantial threat of irreparable harm" and noted that the issuance of an injunction would "disserve the public interest" by interfering with a public election.
The Next Battle: Judge O'Connor explicitly stated that MARA can still challenge the validity of the election and the creation of the city after the results are certified.

Conclusion: The election to incorporate Mitchell Bend is proceeding today, November 4, 2025. The lawsuit itself will now pivot to challenging the legitimacy of the entire incorporation process in court.