Property Dispute in Ruggles Township: Building Split Between Farmer and Township (Full Transcript)

Speaker 1: Me as a taxpayer, that ought to be criminal. Some of your local leaders thought this was a good idea.

Speaker 2: Part of a Ruggles Township building ended up sitting just over the line on a farmer's land. That turned into a property dispute.

Speaker 1: So the township cut the building, leaving part of it standing on both sides of the property.

Speaker 2: Oh yeah, township officials also put up a fence between the two pieces.

Speaker 3: They were going to tear it down early Saturday morning before I knew it, tear the whole thing down. They tried that, we stopped them. So this was their solution.

Speaker 1: Meet Brett Galloway, a farmer here in Ashland County. He says this year he realized the township building had been built partially on his property.

Speaker 2: He wanted to work out an agreement. He says he's been at odds with the township over other property issues.

Speaker 1: And the farmer considers this now one more reason why he can't use this section of his property.

Speaker 3: That was their offer just to buy the property, not address my damages. Their offer was half of what my damages were.

Speaker 2: A public building split like this.

Speaker 1: Gotta be at least two sides to this story, right? So we're looking for answers. How did it get to this point? The I-team trying to find local leaders. Somebody has to explain. We knocked at the Ruggles Township Garage. No response. So we called and got voicemail. Hi, this is Peggy and Ed Gallick with Fox 8.

Speaker 2: Next, we walked over to the township hall

Speaker 1: and no one answered the door. We finally reached a township employee on the phone.

Speaker 2: She said, call the Ashland County prosecutor. So no trustee can talk to us on their issue? I'm not sure that's what we've been advised to do. I'm not sure that's what we've been advised to do.

Speaker 1: The county prosecutor said the township considers the matter finished.

Speaker 2: He said officials tried negotiating. Nothing could be worked out. He said the property owner would not allow crews on his property.

Speaker 1: So you see the township's way of solving the problem.

Speaker 4: Well, actually, I think it's silly and it's a bit absurd, as you can see.

Speaker 2: Joyce Ritchie lives here and sees this as a ridiculous solution.

Speaker 4: I pay my taxes. I don't understand this. I'd like to have some reasonable solution to this. I see it as a safety hazard and a misuse of funds.

Speaker 1: The farmer, not sure what's next. He has part of a building he doesn't want on his property.

Speaker 2: The township left with a garage that's no longer a building.

Speaker 1: What next?

Speaker 3: I don't know.

Speaker 2: I'm worried about that.