City, Habben return to legal wrangling

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, February 12, 2002

In order to complete its preparations for its offer to Farmland, the city of Albert Lea will pursue legal action to force developer Darv Habben to honor a mediation agreement reached last fall.

Tuesday, February 12, 2002

In order to complete its preparations for its offer to Farmland, the city of Albert Lea will pursue legal action to force developer Darv Habben to honor a mediation agreement reached last fall.

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After recessing for a closed session just before adjourning, the city council authorized the city attorney to begin legal action against Darv Habben to enforce the mediation agreement that he and city signed last fall. The city had been in litigation with Habben, developer of the Habben Industrial Park, over a parcel of land the city purchased from Habben in order to complete the real estate portion of its deal with Farmland Foods for a new Albert Lea factory location.

The city has been unable to get Habben to sign over the title to the property, said councilor David McPherson. The council sees legal action as the best option at this point, he said.

Habben had originally sued the city over a development agreement with the city over an industrial park, which is now the city’s preferred Farmland site. Habben had claimed the city refused to compensate him as agreed for portions of utility and road work.

The suit was reportedly settled late last summer when the city put together its offer for Farmland’s return to Albert Lea after the plant was destroyed by fire July 8.