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City says it now owns El Rancho property and will sell with deed restrictions prohibiting rentals
Summary
After a multi‑year legal process, St. Albans officials said the city now owns the El Rancho property and plans to place restrictions on future sales to prevent rental use; officials described court wins at local, circuit and state supreme court levels and payment of tax liens before sale.
Mayor Scott James and Marshall Cheney described the city's acquisition of the El Rancho property and plans for future sales.
Mayor Scott James recounted that the city pursued code and fire‑safety enforcement and that the property owner repeatedly missed deadlines. James said the city won at the local level, the circuit court and the West Virginia Supreme Court on appeal. He said the owner ultimately signed the property over to the city after accruing tax liens that the city paid.
"It's our property, and we're gonna put up for sale and try to recoup some of our funding," Mayor Scott James said. He added that the city can place restrictions in the sale documents; the administration said any property the city sells going forward will have deed restrictions that prohibit rental use even if zoning would otherwise allow rentals.
Officials said the city wants single‑family homes to attract families and economic activity and said enforcement and restrictions are part of a larger effort to improve property maintenance and neighborhood values.
