DURHAM --
Durham County took ownership of a key piece of downtown land Tuesday -- a significant step in its plan to build a new courthouse.
A Superior Court judge awarded the county possession of a South Mangum Street property occupied by a U-Haul rental storage business. The county filed an eminent domain lawsuit to wrest ownership from U-Haul, which has operated there since 1977.
U-Haul's attorney, Jay Ferguson, had tried to delay the change of ownership, saying the business is building a new facility near the former South Square mall area but still has work to do.
"They have every intention of helping people move from this facility to that facility once it's ready," Ferguson said of U-Haul.
Renters will have 90 days to move their belongings.
Two renters lambasted U-Haul in court Tuesday. Maurice Dalton said he rented a unit at the end of September -- after U-Haul had been ordered to stop accepting new customers.
"Had I known they were going to shut down, I never would have rented from them," said Dalton, who pays about $70 a month for his storage unit.
Now, the county and U-Haul must agree on a purchase price. If they can't, the matter will be settled in a jury trial. In a previous court filing, the county said $1.35 million is a fair price for the 2.3-acre plot.
Earlier this year, the county avoided a messy legal battle by agreeing to buy the nearby Scarborough & Hargett Funeral Home property for $3.75 million -- far more than its $1.52 million appraised value.
County officials have long been interested in those two properties, which eventually will be home to a new courthouse and parking garage to replace the current Main Street judicial building. But acquiring the land hasn't been easy.
Scarborough & Hargett, founded in 1871 to serve African-Americans, still has deep roots in the community. Before agreeing to buy the property, the county had started legal action against Scarborough & Hargett as well, angering some residents.
