County May Evict River Cities Aviation After 25 Years

A judge in a Pulaski County, AR circuit court has thrown out a lawsuit against the city of North Little Rock and the local airport commission which could lead to the eviction of a tenant of 25 years.

Ralph and June Van Cleve brought the suit in February, asking that the airport commission extend a 20 year lease to their company, River Cities Aviation, which had been offered when their original lease expired in 2006. But the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports that Judge Wendell Griffen ruled that the statute of limitations for filing a suit had expired in February of 2009, and that the company did not exist when the lease expired in 2006. The Van Cleaves had only recently paid back taxes in order to revive their company.

The Van Cleaves had argued that they had been treated unfairly compared with other hangar operators in lease negotiations. There are about 40 or so hangar leases in effect at North Little Rock Airport (KORK).

Judge Griffen said the Van Cleves did not have standing to file a suit against the city on behalf of River Cities Aviation, because they could not act as corporate officers for a company that did not exist in the eyes of the state.

The original lease written in 1986 required the Van Cleves to restore the property to its original state, including removing the hangar, within 90 days of its expiration or the property would revert to the airport commission.

FMI: www.pulaskiclerk.com