The City of Fresno’s effort to evict the Central Valley Community Sports Foundation from Granite Park has been put on hold.
The city revealed Tuesday that a lender has intervened in the eviction lawsuit, leading the city to put a pause on the litigation for the time being.
The backstory: In April, the city filed an unlawful detainer against the Central Valley Community Sports Foundation, which is led by Terance Frazier.
- The city claims that the foundation has not paid rent as part of its agreement to operate Granite Park.
- While the city previously said in court that Frazier owed over $700,000 in lifetime unpaid rent, the city sent Frazier a rent notice that expired on April 1 for nearly $82,000.
The big picture: LandValue Management, LLC, the foundation’s lender, filed an intent to intervene in the case in court on Monday.
- LandValue claims in a court filing that the city did not provide the required 90-day notice to pay rent or vacate the property.
- The lender said it has financed $1.5 million in improvements at Granite Park.
What we’re watching: The court will hold a hearing on Thursday to consider LandValue’s motion to intervene.
What they’re saying: Fresno City Manager Georgeanne White said that the notice to intervene was the first substantive communication that the city has received from the lender in several months concerning the foundation’s alleged breaches.
- “In light of this development, the City believes it is in the public’s best interest to temporarily pause litigation to open a direct dialogue with LandValue,” White said in a statement. “The City remains committed to enforcing the Lease and addressing the ongoing and numerous breaches by the current tenant. As part of its discussions, the City intends to present LandValue with a full and updated accounting of all outstanding lease defaults.”
- White said the city intends to reinitiate litigation to evict Frazier if the lender does not cure the foundation’s default.
- “The City remains focused on ensuring that any use of public property complies with all legal, financial, and operational obligations,” White said.
