Fieldhouseusa faces suit as it opens in Polaris
Days after opening, the new Fieldhouseusa sports complex at Polaris Fashion Place has landed in a legal battle.
A North Carolina company called Tax Ease OH is seeking to foreclose on the property over unpaid back taxes.
The suit was filed last Monday, just days after the mega sports facility opened on the site of the former Sears store.
In the suit, Tax Ease said it bought a tax certificate on the property from Delaware County on Dec. 31, 2019. Counties sell tax certificates to investors on properties that owe back taxes. The certificates allow an investor to place a lien on a property and to foreclose on a property if taxes are not paid.
At the time, $150,286 from 2018 taxes were delinquent. Tax Ease is seeking the amount it paid for the certificate – $150,466 – plus 17.5% interest on the money and legal and court costs.
Since the taxes have not been paid, Tax Ease is asking the court to foreclose on the property, allowing it to be sold at a sheriff ’s sale.
Representatives from Tax Ease declined to speak, citing the pending suit. A representative from Washington Prime Group, which owns Polaris Fashion Place and the Fieldhouseusa property, said it does not comment on legal matters. According to Delaware County records, Polaris Fashion Place bought the former Sears site in April 2018 for $11 million.
Gary Oliver, CEO of Fieldhouseusa, said he is not familiar with the suit. Even though Fieldhouseusa is named as a defendant, Oliver said the company is not involved in the case.
“Fieldhouseusa has not been sued nor have we been contacted by any such group and have no knowledge,” Oliver wrote.
Among other features, the facility offers a floor that holds five basketball courts or eight volleyball courts; Airhouse Adventure Park, a 30,000-squarefoot space that includes climbing walls, a “ninja” course and trampolines; a Cheer Institute; and rentable party space. jweiker@dispatch.com
@Jimweiker