By CHARLENE GATT
A TURF war has erupted over a former West Footscray laneway that Maribyrnong City Council is trying to sell for the second time.
Former Footscray City Council Mayor and Footscray Rotarian Ted Logan has accused the council of unethical behaviour after it wrote to him last year asking if he wanted to purchase a former right of way laneway for $6000.
A similar letter was also sent to one of Mr Logan’s neighbours.
The piece of land in question was closed off by the council in 1972 after they sold it for $40 to adjoining properties on Stanley St, where Mr Logan lives now, and View St.
The laneway was then divided between the Stanley and View St properties as an extension of their back yards.
But when the owner at the time, Jadvyga Brazas, sold the property, she did not also sell the title for the former laneway.
Mr Logan first found out about the discrepancy in 2004 when Ms Brazas passed away and the State Trustees, acting as executors of Ms Brazas’s estate, contacted him and offered to sell him the land.
After receiving no response, the State Trustees became title owners of the property on 19 August last year and transferred the property to Maribyrnong City Council on the same day.
“If we’ve offered it to both the adjoining properties and they’ve said no to it, then we just transfer it to council for free,” a State Trustees spokesperson said.
Mr Logan said the council should gift the land to him and the adjoining owner, seeing as they paid no money for it themselves.
“For all intents and purposes, it was part of the block (when I bought it),” Mr Logan said.
“They (the council) can’t access it to do anything with it.
“I dislike the thought of leaving legal irregularities for my wife or family to cope with after I am gone.
“I am anxious to clean up this matter quickly to the satisfaction of both involved parties.”
When Star asked Maribyrnong City Council if they had paid for the land they would not respond, citing privacy concerns.
“Council must comply with relevant legislation when discontinuing rights of way and laneways and offering these parcels of land for sale,” general manager of corporate services Stephen Wall said.
“Council has a responsibility to it rate payers to maximise the return from the sale of community owned land so funds generated can be invested back into the community.”
