Published: February 05, 2007 12:31 pm      

Commissioners asking about Premier Property

Commissioners asked for more information today about the party behind Premier Property Management Group LLC, the company offering the lease on the Knights-Templar building.

“Premier Property is me,” Steve Covington told commissioners. “It’s probably a smart idea, when you do a project like this, that you have a liability company.”

Pittsburg County Commissioners voted to table a decision until next Monday to decide on leasing the Knights-Templar building at 122 E. Carl Albert Prkwy., also known as the former Montgomery Ward building, while the courthouse is under renovation.

Commissioners discussed the matter at today’s regular meeting of the Pittsburg County Economic Development Authority, held at 10:30 a.m. in the commissioners’ conference room at the courthouse.

County bond attorney Brent Clark was asked by commissioners to draft a letter of intent for the county to lease the Knights-Templar building while the courthouse is under renovation.

“It’s not ready yet,” Clark said. “It’s still in draft form. I’ll leave a copy for (commissioners) to review until we get to the steps where we can execute this letter of intent.”

A new warranty deed, filed Jan. 31, shows Steve Covington has conveyed the Knights-Templar building to Premier Property Management Group LLC., of Tulsa County.

A sales price affidavit, also filed Jan. 31, shows Lots 1 and 2 in block 349 — described in the deed as 122 E. Carl Albert Prkwy. — was conveyed to Premier Property Management Group, LLC at a cost of zero dollars.

“That means they didn’t pay anything,” Pittsburg County Clerk Debbie Burch said.

Papers filed with the Oklahoma Secretary of State’s office show Premier Property Management Group, LLC’s original date of filing was Jan. 5, 2007. The documents list Tulsa attorney John Carwile as the registered agent and Premier’s address as 122 E. Carl Albert Pkwy. — the same as the Knights-Templar building.

Records at the Secretary of State’s office also show a filing date of Feb. 1, 2007, for “change of registered agent and/or office and/or principal office.”

Earlier last week, the News-Capital obtained documents from the county courthouse which showed Covington owned the Knights-Templar building.

A deed filed in the courthouse on Dec. 11 says Covington received the property from Gene Stipe. A sales price affidavit also filed at the courthouse lists the price for which Stipe sold Covington the property as $0, Burch confirmed.

The deed is dated Nov. 11, 2005, but wasn’t filed at the county clerk’s office until December 2006, according to county records.

In other action, Karen Stobaugh, with Stobaugh Enterprises, said she has property available for the courthouse move. She asked commissioners to consider using her property, the former JC Penney building at 115 E. Choctaw Ave.

Commissioners said they would take the property into consideration.

Contact Trevor Dunbar at tdunbar@mcalesternews.com.