A long-running property dispute over access to a private lake in Ulster County could head to trial after a state Supreme Court judge ruled Erin Moran does not own the 28-acre western end of Yankeetown Pond, a body of water surrounded by residential properties near the Shawangunk Ridge.

The court’s decision is the latest development in a contentious legal battle involving Moran and dozens of property owners in the Yankeetown Association, a subdivision created in the early 1970s. The residents accuse Moran of trying to assert exclusive control over a shared natural resource by putting up fences, posting “no trespassing” signs, and limiting access to the water. Although the judge found Moran has no legal ownership of the pond, he ruled that claims for $10 million in damages and trespass may

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