By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
Once a building stood next to the Times-News on Main Street but now the land where the building stood is not being used.
The store went through many hands between the time the Venice Theater, next door to the north, burned down.
Finally, showing signs of weakness to its foundation the building was condemned and was demolished by the city.
The property now, in the times of the slow economy, seems of little value.
In fact, the small L-shaped piece, located just north of the Times-News Office, is being offered to Juab County by the bank who holds the property.
"It is just 900ths of an acre," said Craig Sperry, county recorder.
It measures 25-feet on the north/south direction on the side of the Times-News.
Where Salt Creek cuts through the property behind the Times-News, that piece adds the bottom of the L to make the shape and runs behind the newspaper shop.
That portion is approximately 20-feet from east to west.
"It is certainly not a big chunk," said Val Jones, commission chairman.
Sperry said that the bank was anxious to deed the property over to the county and do away with the need to pay property taxes on the small piece of land.
"I think they want to be in control of their own destiny," said Sperry.
Chad Winn, commissioner, said that the L shape was actually made up of two smaller pieces.
Now the bank is offering the property to the county with a quitclaim deed.
A quitclaim deed (sometimes erroneously referred to as a "quick-claim" deed) is a legal instrument by which the owner of a piece of real property, called the grantor, transfers his interest to a recipient, called the grantee. Unlike most other property deeds, a quitclaim deed contains no title covenant and thus offers the grantee no warranty as to the status of the property. The owner/grantor terminates ("quits") his right and claim to the property, thereby allowing claim to transfer to the recipient/grantee.
"I would recommend that you take it," said Sperry.
Nephi City is the only likely entity to benefit from the change in hands of the property. They will be able to get the property, in all likelihood.
They can redeem the property for the back taxes.
That will give the city control over one side of the property along the south side of the creek. The north side of the property is not included.
"It will allow the city to hold the property,"said Winn.
There have been persistent rumors that the city might want to develop the land to the side of the creek.
The city may want to recoup some of their loss caused by having to bear the burden of tearing the old building down because of public safety concerns.
