Agreement reached on cleaning up old Banner school

Just before the trial was to begin, the City of Guthrie and Larry Ladd came to a settlement agreement regarding the old Banner school building, which was set on fire by teens in May 2014.

Article continues below video (published on March 8, 2015).

City Attorney Randel Shadid informed District Judge Philip Corley an agreement was reached Monday afternoon inside the Logan County Courthouse.

Earlier this year in March, the Guthrie city council authorized Shadid to file suit to declare the property, located at 1124 W. Warner, a nuisance and to abate the property after citations were issued to Ladd and no action was taken. Related story: City to seek injunction in district court on burned down Banner School building

Four teens were taken into custody shortly after setting the building on fire, along with breaking into Cotteral Elementary and piled up approximately $2,400 worth of damages, in the early morning hours on May 9, 2014.

With the agreement, Ladd, who purchased the 81-year-old school building, agreed to abate the property within 120 days. If the property is not cleaned up, Shadid says the City could hold Ladd for indirect contempt of court.

“If the judge finds him in contempt of court and if the City has to clean it up in the future, we have the right to file a motion to access all those costs for the money judgement,” Shadid told Guthrie News Page outside of the courtroom.

When the judge spoke to Ladd about the agreement, Ladd responded to the judge by saying he did not set the building on fire and he did not tear the walls down. Attorney Tim McKinney, representing Ladd, quickly raised his hand in the air to stop Ladd from speaking any further.

“He denied everything. I never knew exactly what he (Ladd) wanted. We (Guthrie Fire Department) had no choice but to knock the walls down (to reach the fire)” Shadid said.

“Hopefully it will get resolved now,” Shadid concluded with.