Sale of Lahug lot meets another stumbling bloc
THREATENING court action, the president of the Felix Gochan and Sons Realty Corporation is making an “adverse claim” on Lot 917 in barangay Lahug, which the Cebu City government is trying to dispose of.
President Louise Gochan reminded Mayor Michael Rama in a March 13-letter that Lot 917 is subject to a deed of exchange between their company and the City Hall. The matter is pending with the Commission on Audit (COA).
Louise Gochan said in his letter to Rama that Lot 917 cannot be sold pending COA resolution on the deed of exchange proposed by former mayor Tomas Osmeña.
Osmeña wanted Lot 917 to be swapped with a Gochan property occupied by the Banawa Elementary School, which COA denied.
Gochan said in his letter to Rama that the motions seeking COA to reconsider remain pending with the agency.
“Since the deed of sale has been consummated in bad faith and contrary to proper decorum, we are annotating a notice of adverse claim on the title of the lot prior to a possible action in court against the City of Cebu,” said Gochan in his letter.
While discussion on the planned sale is stalled at the City Council, a document signed by Vice Mayor Edgar Labella was released by the Council secretariat last week authorizing Rama to enter into a deed of conditional sale with Hotel Asia, Inc.
The resolution dated March 12, 2014 will allow the signing of the deed of the conditional sale to “consummate” the sale of the 2,357-square meter lot to Hotel Asia at P35,000 per square meter.
Councilor Eugenio Gabuya called the Council’s attention about it.
Labella, the council’s presiding officer, discuss ed the matter with other legislators privately.
Councilors deferred it for another week.
Councilors Gerardo Carillo and Nendell Hanz Abella presented a resolution during the council’s March 12 session authorizing Rama to sign the deed of conditional sale with Hotel Asia and this was referred to the laws committee. They also asked BAC and the city legal office to comment on the Waterfront Hotel’s questioning of the lot sale to Hotel Asia.
In their March 26 session, Carillo and Abella re-introduced their resolution for approval but councilors deferred it again for another week pending comments from BAC and legal office.
Andales raised concern against “giving impression that the Council already approved.”
“We have not authorized the mayor to sign the conditional sale,” Andales said.
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