• High stakes gamesmanship played out in City Council
JBM Leasing LLC has filed an amended summons against the City of Greer alleging unfavorable trade practices, specifically negotiating in secret for the former Allen Bennett Hospital site.
That means the City of Greer has about 30 days to answer the amended complaint filed late Monday. Thursday’s scheduled court appearance in Greenville County Common Pleas has been postponed.
JBM Leasing is asking for a jury trial.
The City of Greer awarded Jim Benson, of 313 Memorial Drive, the property’s address, the site with a $3.010 million amended offer in a second reading at City Council on Jan. 24, according to Mayor Rick Danner. Council voted 6-1 to accept the offer after an executive session.
The final bid was reportedly $5,000 more than JBM’s verbal offer ($3.005 million) on Dec. 13, according to Danner.
The sale of the property closed on Jan. 27.
Benson’s intent is to put a car dealership on the site, according to Danner. JBM had publicly announced it was going to build a state-of-the-art Nissan dealership that would produce an additional 60-70 jobs.
• In a related matter, Reno Deaton’s motion to be dismissed from the injunction was affirmed Wednesday by the Greenville County Clerk of Court. Deaton was represented by Claire Hall of Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein of Columbia.