HINTON W.Va. (Hinton News) – Wilderness Land Holdings has raised concerns regarding the City of Hinton’s handling of vacant properties. In a recent lawsuit and subsequent press release, the company highlighted its concerns regarding events surrounding the transfer and sale of these properties, which were acquired from local residents.
On July 23, the City of Hinton had scheduled two meetings. The first meeting was set to address the transfer of titles for vacant land, previously acquired from residents, to the Hinton Land Reuse Agency. The second meeting was intended to discuss the sale of transferred land. According to a press release from Wilderness Land Holding, this discussion reportedly involved using a “weighted criteria evaluation” system allegedly developed by City Attorney Anna R. Ziegler. According to the press release, this system proposes that buyer selection would not be based solely on sale price but on subjective criteria. At the time of writing, Hinton News has not been able to confirm what the subjective criteria would entail.
Representatives from Wilderness Land Holdings reportedly arrived at Hinton City Hall to attend both meetings. According to the press release from Wilderness Land Holdings, Mayor Jack Scott informed them upon their arrival that the first meeting had been canceled.
Wilderness Land Holdings also noted that this activity regarding property sales coincides with an ongoing “corruption probe” related to the same properties. Wilderness Land Holdings alleges that the land was acquired from Hinton’s poor and elderly residents through tactics they deemed questionable. The company’s criticism included allegations of threats, intimidation, and violations of due process rights.
These developments follow a Writ of Mandamus filed by Wilderness Land Holdings LLC on July 23. According to court documents, this filing seeks to compel Ziegler to release IOLTA account records related to public business, citing alleged violations of the West Virginia Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
Hinton News/WVDN reporters have called and left messages for Hinton City officials for comment; however, at the time of writing, calls/messages have not been returned. Check hintonnews.com or the next print edition for updates.
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