A Prosper family is at odds with the town over land they say they’ve owned since the 1970’s.
A Prosper family is in a fight with the town over land they say has been in their family for decades.
The family says they have records showing the property on Broadway in downtown belongs to them.
But now the town is calling dibs.
“I feel like we're being bulldozed,” said Donna Elliott.
Elliot and her three siblings own several lots in downtown Prosper. They were handed down from their father, Joe Templin.
They own a Quonset hut on Broadway that Elliott leases out.
“My daddy and my brother physically built this building,” she said.
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Her father, Joe Templin, bought the property in 1979.
When the town noticed a problem with the platting in 1996, minutes from a council meeting show they voted to "give Joe 20’ of street easement” he thought he owned but didn't.
The problem is, Elliott said the town never filed paperwork to make it official.
Now the town wants to use the land they say is theirs.
“We've been told to take the emotion out of it. How can you take the emotion out of a building in a piece of property that you know your daddy worked very hard for?” Elliott said.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the town of Prosper said:
“In the process of developing the downtown district, an independent survey has determined that the Quonset hut in downtown Prosper encroaches on property not belonging to the owner, but is instead part of the Town’s right-of-way. The Town has long published plans for the downtown district, including streets, sidewalks and other amenities along the property line over which the hut was built. This is not a new revelation. We have repeatedly tried in a good faith effort to negotiate a way for the encroachment to be rectified. The owner, unfortunately, has not been either responsive or cooperative. Talks with attorneys representing the owners have begun, and we hope the issue resolves itself to everyone’s satisfaction soon.”
Elliott said last week, she declined a $15,000 settlement offer from the town, feeling her family is the rightful owner to the property that means more to them than money.
“I think daddy and momma would want us to stand up for what we think is right,” Elliott said.
