The Starke County Commissioners took action Monday night that would move the county forward in the legal process concerning the upcoming auction of the Hamlet West property.
The property was formerly groomed for the Sysco company to begin operations in Hamlet, but the company never materialized in Starke County.
During the joint meeting of the Starke County Commissioners and Starke County Council in October, County Attorney Marty Lucas was asked to move forward with legal action in order to get back what the county’s taxpayers put into that project. He told the commissioners Monday night the he prepared a claim that identifies that a lawsuit is pending regarding that property.
An auction on the property is set for November 11. Lucas clarified that the bidding will start at $1.25 million. During the joint session meeting, it was noted that the county put $1.6 million in infrastructure and other means to help the company set up operations in Hamlet and the company did not make good on what was agreed upon in a signed agreement. Lucas termed that as unjust enrichment.
Lucas explained, “Their subsidiaries didn’t actually make those changes and now they’re selling it and they’re marketing it with those amenities as selling points. Since the taxpayers paid for those, not the company, that would be essentially converting taxpayer money into private money, and that would constitute unjust enrichment.”
Commissioner Kathy Norem commented that the county needs to do something to protect the interests of the county.
“There was a lot of money and a lot of work done to try to attract business. They didn’t even tell us they were auction it off. We contacted them in the past and tried to work out some kind of an arrangement with them. If anything, that property belongs to the county, in my opinion. I think we need to do everything we have in our power to control that,” said Norem.
The commissioners unanimously approved a motion to file the complaint with the court.
Lucas noted that it would not halt the sale of the property, but the claim will be filed.
