Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-02
COURTHOUSE LAND
PRICE PACT IS SEEN
Commissioner Lacy Shaw
Optimistic After Confer
i So
ence With Miners.
BY WILLIAM ]. WHEATLEY,
STAFF Correspondent of The Star.


ROCKVILLE. Md. August Owners
of property ili the square west of the
courthouse here, which it is proposed
to purchase as an additional site for
the proposed new county building, show
ed disposition yesterday to dispose OF
their land to the county, without the
necessity of inStituting formal condem-
nation proceedings. according to County
Commissioner Lacy Shaw, vice president
Of the beard. The owners were rendered
a price for their respective holdings, as
decided upon by an appraisal commit
tee Of the courthouse building commit
tee at a meeting here last Tuesday.
Majority to Sell.
Mr. Shaw said that in his opinion
majority of the properly holders would
sell their land to the county for the
county building site. No effort WAS made
to get decision from the landholders
YESTERDAY. but they were informed OF
the price which had been fixed. and
were asked to re- RI on Monday and
infjrm the specE ,mmittee whether
they would accep: hose before whom
the ownnrs appeared yesterday were
Preston B. Ray. clerk of the Circuit
Court; Mr.. Shaw, Berry Clark. clerk
10 the board of commissioners. and
Joseph C. Cissel of the law firm of Cis-
sci and Woodward. counsel to the board
OF county commissioners.
The owners were given until 2
o'clock Monday Afternoon to reach a
decision. and when they are made
known to the members of the commit
tee. they will be compiled and laid
before the board of county commission
ers at the regular meeting on Tuesday.
At that time, it Is expected the board
will make a final decision AS to what
parcels are to be accepted at private
sale, and what pieces will be sent to the
Circuit Court under condemnation pro-
ceedingS.
Suits Ready to he Filed.
The condemnation suits have been
prepared by Charles w. Woodward and
are all ready to file. but they were
withheld on recommendation of the
counsel. who suggested that the own
ers again be called into conference and
offered a price for their land. Previous
" the owners only had been requested
to fix a price. 1t was following this
action that the commissioners directed
the institution Of the condemnation
considered away out of proportion ~
the fair value of the laid. But at that
time no counter offer was made.
AS a result OF the carrying out Of this
suggestion OF the counsel, it was said to
be probable that a large block of the
land could be bought at private sale,
and would save the condemnation costs.
Further. it was pointed out that some
Of the owners have taken into conSid-
Grafton the possibility that they would
not obtain as good a price under the
condemnation proceedings AS they
would under the private sale. and par
ticularly was this said to be SD If the
condemnation jury was made up VI
farmers from the upper end OF the
county.
From other sources 1t was learned that
many of the owners felt that the prices
offered by the county commissioners
was much too low. III some cases being
as much as SO per cent below the prices
asked by the owners in the original
offers. There also WAS declared by
some OF the owners 10 be too great n
disparity between the prices offered for
some of the parcels. 1t was declared
by some of the owners that they are
entirely dissatisfied with the prices the
county had offered them.