A law firm for the Catholic Diocese of Toledo has sent a letter to the city of Sylvania requesting payment of nearly $110,000 in legal fees for work it did challenging the city s attempt to ap propriate the historic Lathrop House and its surrounding property.
Mayor Craig Stough said at last night s City Council meeting he doesn t contest that the city is liable for legal fees, but he wants the billing to be reviewed first by the judge who handled the eminent-domain case initiated by the city.
The city dropped the action, assigned to Lucas County Common Pleas Judge Ronald Bowman, after voters in November rejected the city s action.
The diocese bought the property for a projected expansion of St. Joseph Parish across Main Street from the church. After a dispute lasting nearly three years, the house, said to have been a stop on the Underground Railroad used by runaway slaves, was moved to a city park on land adjoining its original location.
The payment request is from Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick for fees from March, 2003, through March of this year.