6/19/07 - County faces third suit over land deal

(As published by Cortland Standard, Corey Preston reporting)

A third property owner involved in the aborted Cortland County land deal on south Main Street has initiated legal action against the county.

While the requested damages — Annamaria Maniaci, who sold her property after the county backed out of the deal, is asking for $4,002 — are significantly less than the potential damages in the other two ongoing cases, county officials were concerned that more lawsuits would follow.
Maniaci’s notice of claim, sent to County Administrator Scott Schrader, points out that while Maniaci was ultimately able to sell her house at 8 Randall St. for more than the county had originally agreed to pay, she still incurred a number of costs after the county backed out of the deal.

The county had originally agreed to purchase Maniaci’s property for $96,000 in December 2006.

After the county Legislature voted to overturn that original decision in January, Maniaci sold the property in March for $104,900.

Although she wound up selling the property for $8,900 more than the county had agreed to pay, Maniaci’s notice of claim identifies $12,902 in expenditures that would not have been incurred had the county gone through with the deal, resulting in the request for $4,002 in damages.
The expenses include a $5,294 real estate commission, which the county would have paid, and in fact did pay to Cinquanti Real Estate, despite the annulment of the sale, under its agreement with Maniaci.

Maniaci also claims about $5,300 in city and school taxes paid, a total of about $1,000 for a survey done as part of the agreement and the installation of new circuit breakers after a home inspection, and about $300 in gas, electric and water and sewer costs.

Finally, the claim also cites $948.75 in attorney fees for the law offices of Riehlman, Shafer and Shafer, where County Attorney Ric Van Donsel is employed, for work done that was caused by the annulled contract.