Plans for a high-end women's clothing store in Clarendon have fallen through.
During Tuesday morning's Warren County Redevelopment Authority meeting, Wanda Miller said she backed out of obtaining the building at 10 Railroad St. she planned to put the store in.
However, Miller said the property's owner, Mark Allen Truver, had the deed put in her name. She said she was unsure of how he did that.
Pam Matve, chief clerk, noted the transfer was recorded in a newspaper. The plan was for Truver to help her, Miller said, as she didn't have the manpower or money to do the work by herself.
Andrea Stapleford, solicitor, said a person receiving a deed does not have to sign it. It's possible Truver had someone write up a new deed.
Stapleford advised Miller to contact an attorney. While the property is in her name, Matve said, it is her responsibility.
Responsibilities cited by Matve included blight, taxes and utilities. Terry Hawk, authority member, said there are also liability issues.
"It's all up to you," Matve said.
For the past year, Miller said, she has been telling Truver about the danger posed by the property. Children have gone in it nonstop.
Miller said she knocked down the back porch at the property and has been mowing the grass there as well as at other properties Truver owns. She said the people in Clarendon were only interested in the property coming down.
"You can't have anything nice in Clarendon," Miller said. "They don't want it."
With the title issues surrounding the deed, it would be difficult to garner interest in the property. Although nothing prevented Truver from recording a deed transfer, Stapleford said it wasn't the right thing to do.
If the deed was clean, Hawk said the authority might offer to take the property off the owner's hands. However, Stapleford said they shouldn't spend money cleaning up someone else's title.