The Chevy Chase woman fighting her neighbors over the paving of a driveway spent Monday night and much of Tuesday in a Montgomery County jail. Deborah Vollmer said she was arrested on a warrant by police on Monday evening and taken to the county's detention facility at Seven Locks. Vollmer admitted that on March 25, she "physically prevented" some workers from putting up a fence dividing her property from the driveway, which she and her neighbor at 7200 44th Street share via a 1920s easement agreement. That would be a violation of her probation resulting from a 2012 incident in which Vollmer wrote "No justice no peace" with her finger in wet concrete that was being applied for the driveway's new apron. She also admitted to taking some of her neighbors' paving stones and "throwing them down on the driveway." She was convicted of two counts of malicious destruction of property and ordered not to communicate with the Schwartzes. She's brought at least six lawsuits against the family and the courts have sided with the Schwartzes each time. Vollmer has had to pay about $30,000 in legal costs. A Circuit Court order requires Vollmer consent to her neighbors' plans for the new driveway. She's appealing the decision. Vollmer wrote in an email to news outlets that she suspects the family's lawyer, Steven Nemeroff, had something to do with having police act on the warrant. Nemeroff denied that claim and said he didn't even know about the arrest until after it happened. "I think it was an effort to humiliate me and to sort of beat me down when it could've been done a different way," Vollmer said. "I'm not willing to totally cave in to their plans with no modification." This week, workers began putting down the new driveway. "I had nothing to do it. She's a lawyer right? What is ironic is that she knows what a court order means. She doesn't want to abide by the court order," Nemeroff said. "She doesn't care. We agreed to pay 100 percent for the improvements. She refused all repairs. The law is that you have to maintain it." 
Vollmer attempted to persuade the Town of Chevy Chase Council to stop the paving project last week and even said she'd be willing to get arrested again to protect the grass. The Council sided with the courts and workers began tearing up the driveway of grass and concrete the next day. It's not the first time Vollmer, who grew up in the house at 7202 44th Street, has objected to similar projects. The property line between the homes runs about roughly halfway down the driveway. But a judge has determined that the Schwartzes have the right to repave the driveway, which they said was becoming a muddy mess. "It was a two-day trial," Nemeroff said. "You can't just take the law into your own hands. The police came out three times to beg her to stop. She wouldn't listen. We didn't even show up for the Town of Chevy Chase appeal." Vollmer claimed the driveway contained a "historic" strip of grass down the middle that represented a vanishing part of the Town's character. She also said it helped her back out of her garage, which is connected to the driveway. Nemeroff pointed out that Vollmer objected to the Schwartzes tearing down and building a new home on their property seven years ago. "She had stated under penalties of perjury that she wants the Schwartzes to tear down their home and she just wants to see grass," Nemeroff said. "The court found it incredulous. The court order says she has no legal right." The pavement work is not totally complete. Vollmer said she offered a compromise earlier this week, with no response. "I think somebody involved made the decision that if I'm hauled into jail, that would be one day of construction where I wouldn't be able to interfere," Vollmer said. Image via Google Maps
Woman Arrested In Chevy Chase Driveway Dispute
