A lawsuit between the Town of Lake Santeetlah and two homeowners has been settled, to the tune of $40,000.
Court documents show that homeowners Marsha Matthews and John Cochran settled their suit against the town in July, with the plaintiffs and their attorney, Eric Ridenour of the Sylva-based Ridenour and Goss Law agreeing to pay the town $40,000 to settle the suit.
The settlement comes after an all-day hearing on the suit held in Swain County in May. The town filed for sanctions and attorney fees prior to the plaintiffs and Ridenour agreeing to settle.
The dispute arose after the town held an open-bidding process for land along the lake, next to the properties of Cochran and Matthews. In response, the two homeowners chose to sue the town for adverse possession, believing the land to already belong to them.
Under North Carolina law, a person in possession of land owned by someone else may acquire valid title to the land, provided they have been in possession of the land for a certain amount of time as prescribed by a statute of limitations.
The homeowners enlisted the services of Ridenour, who brought a lawsuit against two town officials, three new landowners and the town, accusing them of collusion and bid rigging.
However, the charges were dismissed by Superior Court Judge William Coward in September 2020. Coward said bid rigging took place when parties favor certain individuals, but that the town was trying to get the most money from whoever made the highest bid.