The Loudon County School Board is faced with a property line dispute for land near Fort Loudoun Middle School purchased in 2006.

At a recent workshop, Director of Loudon County Schools Wayne Honeycutt presented the board with copies of a letter he received from Attorney Ronald Feldman who represents the estate of James J. Griffiss.

According to the letter from Feldman, "when the school board acquired its property in 2006, the school board's surveyor used the fence line as the property line, rather than following the line established by the Johnston deed in 1913. The beneficiaries of the Griffiss Estate desire to eliminate the overlap of the school board property onto the Griffiss property."

Honeycutt told the board the line in question was close to the tennis courts at the school and along the old fence line."When we bought the property the surveyor used the old fence line," Honeycutt said. He said the amount of property involved was approximately .08 acres and could move the line anywhere from two inches to over three feet.

Honeycutt also told the board a new deed could be written, the two parties could compromise and split the difference or the school board could just maintain the property in question belongs to the school board.
The board could also have the property condemned and take it in court but Honeycutt added "I don't want to think about that one."

Honeycutt said the real concern was if the boundary dispute disrupted the plans to expand the school and the architect's tentative plans to have two entrances to the school, one of which would be on or near the disputed boundary. He told the board he would consult with a surveyor and report back.

mary.hinds@news-herald.net