Bridgeton pioneer. (Bridgeton, N.J.) 1884-1919, 1912-02-22
HEIRS MAKE
BIG DEMANDS
Buck Heirs Ask for Large
Amount.
nnfGuTN MIN ngaaNn
COUNTY BUILDINGS.
Interesting Situation in Which the
Tax Payers Are Very Much
Interested.

What is to become of the property
on East Commerce street which for
years has been used by the county as
Clerks and Surrogate's offices? This
question is not likely to
find an answer for some time.
When the Board of Chosen Freehold
ers decided to erect the handsome new
county building on Broad street, it
was expected that the county would
have little trouble in securing the
clear title to the Commerce street
property and the site sold for a fair
being generally agreed by the county
authorities that the amount secured
for the property would go into the
sinking fund for the purpose of retir-
ing the bonds issued to erect the new
structure.
When the county began to arrange
to dispose of the property it was found
difficult to obtain title to all of the
property and for the purpose of the
matter adjudicated the question of
ownership was submitted to the chan
Gerry court, the county being repre-
sented by the County Solicitor, Roscoe
c.. Ward, with Waited H. Bacon as as
sociate counsel The interests claimed
by the heirs of the late John Buck
were cared for by the well known law
firm of Hampton & Fithian. There
was no legal contest involved, the suit
being an agreement to have the court
pass upon the title. The parties in
interest were confronted with this
condition as stated by the Court in it's
findings:
Defendants, as heirs-at-law of John
Buck, deceased, make claim that the
recent removal of the county records
from the buildings on the lot in ques-
ton to the new county building has
been operative to defeat the title of
the county and vest an absolute title,
as to the undivided one-half thereof,
in them.
'The lot in controversy was con-
veyed to the Board of Chosen Free
holders of the County of Cumberland
by John Buck and Daniel P. Stratton,
who were equal owners as tenants in
common by deed of conveyance dated
September 1, 1915. The deed express
es a consideration of five dollars as
paid to the grantors The words of
the grant are: DO give, grant, bar
gain and sell and convey unto the
Board of Chosen Freeholders of the
County of Cumberland as aforesaid,
and to their successors, to and for
the purpose of building and erecting
thereon public offices for the Clerk
and Surrogate of the County of Cum
berland, that lot, etc. The words Of
the habendum clauses are: To have
and to hold the said lot of land, and
the right to use the alley aforesaid
unto The Board of Chosen Freeholders
of the County of Cumberland aforesaid
and their successors, and to their only
proper use, benefit and behoof, so long
as the same shall be used for the
purposes herein before mentioned and
no longer The covenant of quiet en-
joyment is as follows: And that in
the quiet and peaceful possession of
the same so long as the same shall be
used for the purposes aforesaid the
grantors will warrant and defend.
in the year 1916 the clerks and
surrogate's offices were erected by the
county on the lot and have been used
as SUCH. continuously, until recently.
The use of the property for the pur-
pose named has now been permanent
ly abandoned.
"The rights of the heirs-at-law of
Daniel Stratton, the other grantor,
having been conveyed to complainant" +"
In nut she'll the situation is that
the said Buck and Stratton conveyed
to the county for it's use for county
building lot 20x40 feet ON East Com
merce street. Upon this was erected
a small building which was used for
many years. Later the county ac-
quired much more ground east and
south of this small tract, and built
upon the entire tract the present
bidding II the ,:me of this improve
.----r.-ss.sa. .