Warren County Assessor Wendy Nordwald continues to raise questions regarding the residency of her upcoming primary opponent, Andrew Smith.Nordwald challenges that Smith, a tax attorney who owns a home in Innsbrook Estates, is a part-time resident of Innsbrook and a full-time resident of St. Louis.“Under the Missouri Constitution, he is an unqualified candidate for the assessor’s office because you must be a resident of Warren County,” Nordwald said. “Every single document I have is public information. It can either be found on websites or in the Warren County Administration Building.”Nordwald said the home Smith lists on his voter registration is not his full-time residence and it is actually listed as a recreational chalet by the Innsbrook resort. Although Smith owns the property, Nordwald said he has restricted access to the property.“A chalet shall not be used, directly or indirectly, for any purpose other than as a recreational residence and it shall not be used as a residence, temporarily or permanently,” said Nordwald, quoting the Trust Agreement and Indentured Restrictions of Innsbrook Estates.Nordwald said Innsbrook does have permanent homes on the property. Nordwald said she did not target Smith because he chose to run for the county assessor’s office, but because verifying a citizen’s permanent residence is part of her job as tax assessor.“All chalets are to be used temporarily and not permanently,” Nordwald said. “His general warranty on his actual chalet says, this is the legal description, it is subject to all easements, restrictions and zoning of record. His permanent residence is 221 Pebble Creek Acres Drive. I have a copy of his property record card. It came off of the assessor’s website in St. Louis County.”Nordwald said the property is valued at around $300,000 and in the deed of trust Smith has on the property requires him to occupy the residence full time.“Lenders are constantly making inspections that the borrowers are residing on the property,” Nordwald said. “If they are not, then it is mortgage fraud and a serious crime.”According to Case.Net, the Missouri court website, Smith has lawsuits on file against Nordwald, Warren County Tax Collector Julie Schaumber and recently filed suit against the Missouri State Tax Commission, which rejected his appeal of Nordwald’s 2015 tax assessment. On each of the suits, Smith lists the address of 671 Whitetail Creek, Innsbrook. The Record contacted Smith, but he reserved his comments to his correspondence with various governing bodies that he feels better outline his case. In a letter to the Warren County Board of Equalization, Smith wrote Nordwald seemed to confuse his full-time residency because he often must stay overnight in St. Louis because his legal practice is based in St. Louis.Innsbrook Owners Association Trustee Charlie Boyce also backed Smith’s claim stating in an open letter that Plat 30, where Smith’s chalet is located, is a permanent residence. In his open letter Boyce wrote, although chalets are built and designed for recreational use, Plat 30 does not contain a prohibition of primary residence. However, when it comes to Smith’s opinion on his residence, the Missouri State Tax Commission felt differently.Nordwald said Smith’s election as tax assessor could throw the county into turmoil should a lawsuit regarding his residency arise. However, she said she would not personally pursue that lawsuit.“Since he is not a resident in the county, we could be in a really sticky situation with there not being an assessor in office,” Nordwald said. “That office would be vacant until the lawsuit and legal aspects would be worked out. The election authority statutes state a candidate may sue and have an unqualified candidate removed from the ballot. I heard it through the grapevine that many people suggest that is what I do, but I am a huge proponent of tort reform. I feel acting in that manner betrays all of my beliefs.”City of Warrenton