A federal lawsuit against Island County has stalled over a bounced check.

Freeland resident Olga Nada, who identified herself as “the chancellor in Christ of Cosmic Light Creations” and Olga Nada of the Tepes family, filed a petition for declaratory judgment against the county in U.S. District Court Dec. 10.

Nada sought to prevent the county from auctioning off property owned by Cosmic Light Creations due to unpaid property taxes. The claim states that Cosmic Light Creations is a private religious organization and should have never been assessed.

The lawsuit states that the chancellor in Christ and the state established a “treaty relationship” in 2002.

Nada wrote that she demanded in September that the county treasurer answer “seven good-faith and material questions” before she would pay the taxes, but she didn’t receive an answer. The questions were all constitutional in nature and focused on the “Federal Coinage Act of 1792.”

Documents Nada submitted indicate that about $16,000 in unpaid taxes, penalties and interest were due for the property on Sundown Lane in Freeland. The property’s assessed value was $340,000 in 2013.

Federal court records show that a $400 check Nada wrote for the filing fee was returned due to insufficient funds.

After Nada failed to respond, the federal court judge notified Nada on Dec. 30, 2013, that she had 20 days to either pay the fee or apply to proceed “in forma pauperis,” or the case will be subject to dismissal.

No further documents have been filed in the case.