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Legal counsel says riverfront title unclear; town may seek quiet‑title remedy
Summary
Legal counsel reported inconsistent deed and plat records for a narrow riverfront strip tied to INM; the council was told it may need a quiet‑title action to clear title before moving forward with the RFP for riverfront development.
Town legal counsel Alex Bowman told the council that a narrow strip of riverfront land long thought to be part of a redevelopable parcel is unresolved in title records and could require a judicial quiet‑title action to clarify ownership.
Bowman summarized historical plats dating to 1835 and later transfers showing a 10‑ft strip along the river that was conveyed through successive owners and that INM’s representative told the town, "We don't own that. We've never owned that. We only own that 10‑ft strip along the riverbank, and we conveyed that to the town in 1996." Bowman said auditors may record the parcel as town property beginning in tax year 2026, but that the town currently cannot represent it has clean, marketable title.
The legal briefing noted several possible paths forward: simple documentary fixes if deeds can be located; an affidavit or corrective instrument if facts support it; or a quiet‑title lawsuit if necessary. Bowman said a quiet‑title filing could require joining adjacent property owners so they may appear in the proceeding, but he also said INM has signaled it does not intend to contest its lack of interest in the strip. "I'm ready to go to Judge Pris and quiet the title," Bowman said, describing that as a viable path to remove uncertainty and make the parcel usable for the town's RFP.
Council members were told the uncertainty could hold up the town's planned RFP and development work on the riverfront, since developers typically require clear title before committing to construction. Bowman recommended presenting a concrete proposed course of action at the work session so the council can authorize the next legal steps.
Next step: legal staff will prepare a work‑session briefing with recommended options and associated costs and timelines; no formal vote was taken at this meeting.
