The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-16
I0LO COUNTRY CLUB
 TITLE QUESTIONED.
Jefferson County Lays Claim
 To no Acres Valued At sR fa $3,00O,O00


 The tract of land occupied by the Country club in fashionable South Highlands, to which the board of revenue is claiming clear title, was valued at approximately s3,000,0o0 by Frank Hewitt. county tax ad- juster, Tuesday. 1#
 "This land is easily worth s3,000 an acre in my opinion,"' Hewitt told Thomas E. Huey, revenue board member, who launched the fight to establish Jefferson county's owner ship.
 | A resolution by Mir. Huey, direct ing County Attorneys Ernest Mat immediately an abstract of title, showing the legal owner, was adopted unanimously.
 The city of Birmin gham may con test the co1inty's claim, according to city hall indications. The commits sion has called on City Attorney W. J; Wynn to nyesttgate thoroughly: fight is seen by officials, in view of the recent supreme court decision awarding the property to the Bir- mingham Realty company after a friendly suit with the city commits sion. @ @ftt. IE O 70 O. ~ a COunty's Contention. I'3 "a,
 Mir. Huey and his associates on the revenue board contend that the Ely ton Land company dedicated the tract to the public in 1872, and that inasmuch as the city limits did not then touch the property, the dedica- { lion necessarily was to Jefferson county. = s'tf N,e1sg
 reThere is sufficient legal opinion to justify the belief that the city was not authorized, on a>sub sAifuent date to enter negotiations with the Birmingham Realty company to set tie the title to the property" de- clared Mir. sHuey's resolution. ii
 heScountry club is occupying the expire for nine of ten. years. The club is now preparing to move to the site it.. has purchased beyond Red
 There were /indications at the court house that officers of the club hold the view. that the legal :. title lies in Jefferson county. Moreover; lature and attorney, who does con- siderable title work, has done some Investigating and reached the con- clusion that the land belongs to the county. yS
 ouuAlHS AD8trHcts -
 sThe abstract. which the county attorneys are preparing will be the best evidence" says MT Huey, "and I afn, confident we will find that for years the county has allowed the city to control $3.000,090 worth of property, which in fact was owned by the county"
 If the investigation bears out this contention the revenue board will move in circuit court to establish it's ownership, members declared.
 Development of the property as great park, with swimming pools, golf course and the like, may be understaken if the county takes. over the acreage, according to officials. D. E. McLendon. city, commission president, and his colleagues. be- lieve the revepne board is "off'' in seeking ownership. They say the property was dedicated for park pur- poses for the public, and that as the county has no park system, the city Is rightfully in control and was with in it's rights in vesting the title in the Birmingham Realty company. The days developments brought prediction of a lively legal battle to bring the muddle to a conclusion. It may be discussed at Wednesday, s joint session of the commission and revenue board. %t s4F