EDWARDSVILLE — A man claims the former owner of his property illegally continued to lease a portion of the property for a billboard and collected lease payments after he became the legal owner of the land.
Timothy R. Compton filed a complaint June 25 in the Madison County Circuit Court against Debra L. Herzog-Klingeman, alleging unjust enrichment and trespass.
Compton claims in his suit that he became the sole owner of a residential property on Lower Marine Road in Highland on Sept. 28, 2016, which is adjacent to property owned by the defendant. He alleges he purchased the property as a bank foreclosure and that the property was previously owned by the defendant's son and his wife, who obtained the property through conveyance from the defendant.
Compton claims that in August 2011, the defendant entered into a lease agreement for outdoor advertising to maintain a billboard on a portion of the property for a quarterly lease payment. He further claims the defendant falsely represented in a continuation of the lease that she still owned the land and collected lease payments of $21,546 for a period of time after he purchased the land. Compton alleges the defendant had no right to collect the funds during the time he owned the land and that she refuses to give him the full amount or any portion of the lease payments.
Compton seeks monetary relief of $21,546 and all other just relief. He is represented by Wayne Skigen and Jason Johnson of Tressler LLP in Edwardsville.
Madison County Circuit Court case number 21-L-000740