Whelan Property Finally Purchased By City
Whelans With Their Attorney Following Closing on Property With City of Poplar Bluff (left to right: Robin Whelan, Attorney Derrick Kirby, Robert Whelan)
Poplar Bluff, Mo. – After two years of practically attempting to steal their land by eminent domain, the City of Poplar Bluff came to the negotiation table last month and hammered out a deal that was finalized today.
At a little after 10am, Robert & Robin Whelan and Randy Rahlman and the City of Poplar Bluff, represented by Mayor Angela Pearson, closed on the property at the corner of Oak Grove Road and N Westwood Blvd.
The Whelans received $850,000 for the property, attorney’s fee’s and moving expense. Rahlman, who had a small interest in the property, received $11,181 for prepayment penalty and his attorney’s fees. The total cost to the city was just over $861,000. [SEMO.net estimated the settlement to be over $850,000 two weeks ago in a You Paid For It column]
Robert Whelan said that this new city council and administration was able to do something in a few months that the former administration couldn’t get done in two years.
Whelan said, “I want to thank the new city council for sitting down and talking with me; meeting with me. Once we sat down and talked it out we came to a resolution quickly. They are heading in a good direction.”
When asked how many time Whelan was able to sit down to discuss or negotiate with the former administration, Whelan said, “Not a single time. But Mark Massingham and Robert Smith [Interim City Manager and Interim City Attorney, respectively] were always willing to sit down and that is all it took to get this behind us: to sit down and talk.”
Rahlman stated he was not a part of any of the negotiations.
Whelan was very complimentary of his lawyer, Derrick Kirby from Kirby Law Firm in Doniphan, Mo. Whelan said, “I really want to thank Derrick Kirby, he did an excellent job, I am proud of him.”
When asked about how it felt after two years of conflict over his property, Whelan said, “Over the last two years, I’ve gained a lot of grey hairs. I’m very happy, today.”