Round Top Suing Fayette County

The Round Top Town Council voted last Thursday to sue Fayette County over a dispute over ownership of the historic precinct courthouse on the Town Square.

The dispute arose over a year ago after Round Top Mayor Judith Vincent and the Town Council contemplated some major renovations to the building. Several citizens concerned about the losing the historic building appealed to the Fayette County Commissioners Court. Around that time, County leaders learned of a possible discrepancy in the deed for the property.

In 1984, the County Judge at the time, Dan Beck, signed a deed granting the Courthouse to the Town of Round Top. At the time, the County sought to divest itself of certain properties that were no longer serving a governmental purpose for the County. But there appears to be no record in the Commissioners Court meeting minutes authorizing the transfer.

When this was discovered last year, the Fayette County Attorney’s Office advised the Commissioners Court that the County still owns the property. At that time, the Commissioners Court attempted to negotiate a deal with the Town of Round Top to officially transfer the property to the Town in exchange for some deed restrictions aimed at alleviating concerns about preserving the building.

The Town of Round Top rejected that offer and insisted that the Town owns the Courthouse.

The Town Council met with their attorney for about two hours in executive session last Thursday. The agenda stated that the Council was meeting to contemplate several potential matters of litigation, including the ownership dispute over the Courthouse. Upon convening in open session, they voted to pursue a lawsuit against the County.

“The council decided it was time to put the matter of the courthouse ownership to rest once and for all,” Mayor Vincent said in a statement to the Record after the meeting.

County Attorney James Herbrich declined to comment at this time.