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Resident Jim Hill tells council he is successor in hangar lease and seeks review
Summary
Jim Hill addressed the council at length claiming a 2006 hangar lease at Manchester Municipal Airport binds successors and that he is successor in interest following his LLC’s dissolution; he said attorneys reviewed the lease and urged the city to present any dispute publicly so it can be resolved.
Citizen and airport tenant Jim Hill addressed the council about an ongoing dispute over a hangar lease at Manchester Municipal Airport.
Hill said a lease dated June 7, 2006, was executed between the City of Manchester and Ultralight Aircraft of Iowa LLC for hangar space. He told the council that the LLC was later dissolved and that he holds the interest as successor. Reading from the document, Hill cited paragraph 19 that states the agreement is binding on successors and assigns and said that means his heirs would hold the interest if he were to die.
Hill said he retained counsel (attorney Steve Carr) and sought a second opinion from a separate law firm transcribed as Simer Berman; he said both reviews reached the same conclusion that the lease remains valid and that he should not lose the leased hangar. Hill asked the council to present any challenge to his claim publicly and challenged anyone disputing his version to state it before the council while all parties were present.
Council members responded that staff and officials would review the submitted documents and consult with Jim Peters (staff/attorney referenced by council) and that staff would contact Hill directly to follow up. The meeting record shows the council did not take a binding action on the lease at that session; instead staff asked for time to examine the materials Hill presented and to report back.
Representative quotes from the presentation include Hill’s reading of the lease provision: "this agreement shall be binding upon the successors and assigns" and his assessment that there was "absolutely no reason that we should be even here today" if the lease language is controlling. Hill also stated that he had prepared and delivered a notice to the city of his successor status.
What happens next: Council asked staff to review Hill’s submitted materials (including the lease and legal opinions) and to provide a response. Hill asked that any dispute be raised publicly so he and the council could resolve the matter in open session.
Reporting note: The reporting here follows Hill’s statements as recorded in the council transcript; the city’s legal review and any further council action will be the determinative record for lease status.
