Allyson Beauregard
THORNE – A lengthy legal battle between the municipal council and the Thorne Community Recreation Association (TCRA) concerning the ownership of the TCRA building and property may be coming to an end now that initial agreement papers were signed at the beginning of May.
Allyson Beauregard
THORNE – A lengthy legal battle between the municipal council and the Thorne Community Recreation Association (TCRA) concerning the ownership of the TCRA building and property may be coming to an end now that initial agreement papers were signed at the beginning of May.
The deal involves the TCRA signing over a portion of land at the North side of the property to the municipality for $1, which the municipality will use to construct a building to house a garage, fire hall and municipal office. However, the deal needs to be notarized before it is considered final; this must take place on or before August 31.
The municipality also agreed to pay $5,000 annually to the TCRA for the rental of the office space within the TCRA building and pay $12,500 in arrears.
The TCRA has owned the TCRA Hall and property since 1989 when it was purchased from the municipality for $1, a price the current Council contested. “You just can’t give municipal property away for $1… It’s written in the municipal code,” said Murdock in an earlier interview. The municipality claimed they couldn’t receive grants to improve their fire hall or build a garage since the TCRA grounds, where the fire hall is located, wasn’t under their ownership. The two parties began mediation last October.
Over the last three years, the municipality has spent almost $41,500 in legal fees related to the issue.
