Fading Marshall County church building in limbo

Steve and Bev Rebholz were married in the LaPrairie United Methodist Church 53 years ago, and have lived next door for the past 45.

So it breaks his heart to see that the building at 645 LaPrairie Rd. seems to have deteriorated to the point where he has been vocally pushing Marshall County and LaPrairie Township officials to take action that might lead to demolition.

"It's a shame," said Rebholz, a 70-year-old retired construction worker. "It was a nice church. I went to Sunday school there."

Some statements made by Rebholz lately are disputed by property owner Dana Bannister of Chillicothe, who also criticized his longtime acquaintance for complaining to local governments rather than discussing the matter directly with him.

But Bannister, who sells auto parts online, also acknowledged that the property he bought from his parents about six years ago might have reached a point where it can no longer be saved.

"I don't have the money to fix the dang thing," he said. "I'd love to be able to do something about it, but I don't know what to do."

Neither do the county or township governments. Aside from each urging the other to do something, they have largely kept their distance from a dispute where both issues and jurisdiction have seemed a bit murky.

"It's sort of in limbo as far as I'm concerned," said township supervisor Debbie Daykin.

Plenty of history

The church dates back to the 1850s, when "a little band" of farm families organized the congregation, according to an unpublished history compiled in 1975 by a former pastor now deceased. The original building erected in 1859 was replaced by the current one in 1904, when LaPrairie Center was a small but thriving community on the western fringe of the county.

The Methodist group merged with nearby LaPrairie United Presbyterian in 1970 and sold the church to an area resident for conversion into a home.

The place has had four owners since then, said Justin Meierkord, who owns a title business in Lacon and is a grandson of Rebholz. The problems began with a long period of vacancy that ensued after Bannister and his wife Loretta bought the property from his parents, who had lived there several years, Rebholz said.

Bannister, who once lived in San Diego, said he bought it simply to facilitate his parents' move to Chillicothe so that they could be closer to medical care in their aging years.

"It was strictly a mercy purchase," Bannister said.

Bannister had intended to offer the property as a rental, but never was able to complete work to make that possible, he said. Among other problems, drywall installed in the basement by Rebholz began to mold just a few months later - a problem that Bannister attributed to possible defects in a Chinese-made product.

While much of the building is obscured by trees, the outer walls appear erect and straight, but at least one window is missing. The roof, which shows signs of patches, had leaked for years, Bannister said.

There has been no expert investigation of the structure. Bannister said he had not even been to the site in two years, and Rebholz said he had not entered the building in about 18 months.

Rebholz said he had access because the property shares a well with his under an agreement with an earlier owner, and the electrical controls were in the church basement. He said he has not entered the building since having those controls transferred to his property about 18 months ago when he found heavy mold growth on basement walls.

"(Neighboring) property owners have stated that the smell emanating from the building can be disgusting at times," township officials said in a letter to the County Board last month.

"Wrong entity to pursue this"

The township asked the county to consider legal action toward one of two outcomes: Either remove the mold and "secure the premises" or demolish all buildings and clear the approximately three-quarter acre site.

County officials could not agree on whether they even had authority to take action, but they chose not to do so at a recent board meeting. Chairman Dennis Bogner said one main reason was a concern that taking on the case could set a precedent.

"The problem is, if we start coming in and accepting this building (for legal action), we're going to have to start accepting other buildings," Bogner said.

County officials urged the township to take action. The township board recently offered to send a letter to the Bannisters if Rebholz would have an attorney draft one - which he does not plan to do - but is unlikely to take any other action soon, Daykin said.

For one reason, "The township has absolutely zero money" for such things, she noted. For another, their jurisdiction is unclear without a violation of county ordinance or state law.

"I don't think we have standing," she said. "I just think we're the wrong entity to pursue this."

Rebholz said he next plans to contact the county health department. An official from that agency emphasized at an earlier meeting that not all mold is toxic or a health risk, and also that the department generally has no authority to enter private premises without an owner's permission or a court order.

"I want to sell it"

Rebholz told the County Board that he had tried to purchase the property about two years ago, but Bannister wanted too much money. The two are at odds over the amount discussed and the amount Bannister might accept.

The property's assessment is based on an estimated market value of about $72,000, according to county records. This year's $1,774 tax bill has not been paid, and the past two years' bills were paid by a "tax-buyer," a business that pays delinquent taxes in hopes of either earning interest on re-payment or eventually acquiring the property through a tax deed.

Bannister said he would hate to lose the property that way, but cannot afford to pay the back taxes. He said he hopes to sell it, and anyone interested can contact him at danasparts@mchsi.com.

"I don't care who buys the thing," he said. "I want to sell it, period."

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Gary L. Smith can be reached at (800) 516-0389 or glsmith@mtco.com.

Source: http://www.pjstar.com/news/x1052260764/Fading-Marshall-County-church-building-in-limbo

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