Wednesday, August 09, 2023
L-R Arnold “Buff” Chace and attorney Max Wistow
The litigation is beginning to heat up in the Providence City Council’s effort to undo the special tax deal given to downtown developer Arnold “Buff” Chace.
The city’s internal auditor estimates that the city could recover as much as $42 million.
Attorneys representing the Providence City Council filed a motion to intervene in Providence Superior Court in the case entitled Harrisburg Associates, LLC, et al. v. The City of Providence et al.
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The motion is intended to be the first step in a challenge by the City Council to a 2021 Consent Order entered in that case.
“Neither the Consent Order, nor the agreement on which that order was based, was known to, let alone approved by, the City Council at the time they were entered into. The City Council contends that the Providence City Solicitor made these agreements without proper authority and without the knowledge or approval of the City Council, allowing ten buildings in Providence controlled by Chace to pay significantly reduced property taxes that would otherwise be due to the City,” said the City Council’s press release. No individual is directly quoted.
Chace’s spokesperson Patti Doyle said that her client and his lawyers are aware of the filing but have not reviewed the documents yet.
The City Council press release claims that it is also concerned about the possible implications of this agreement for other landlords who may seek similar reductions in taxes,
The filing on behalf of the Council was made by Max Wistow, Stephen P. Sheehan, and Benjamin Ledsham of the Providence law firm of Wistow, Sheehan & Loveley, PC.
In a Bizarre Twist
The Council’s press release states, “Because this matter is now before the Courts, the City Council will have no further comment at this time.”
There is, of course, no prohibition on the City Council or any member of the Council from commenting on the case while it is litigation — litigation that could take years.
Providence Mayor Brett Smiley has criticized the Providence City Council for their involvement in the tax matter.
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