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Best Sunshine, HS Lee dispute over public land still unsettled
The tussle between Best Sunshine International, Ltd. and H.S Lee Construction over a piece of public land remains unresolved.
H.S. Lee Construction was earlier able to secure a temporary restraining order that prevents the Department of Public Lands from conveying any part of a 1,950-square-meter property in Garapan to another business entity.
H.S. Lee Construction Co. is planning to build parking spaces for its commercial building, but Best Sunshine apparently opposed the carving of the lot as it is part of a big land needed for its casino project.
In an interview last week, Best Sunshine CEO Mark Brown said the company’s legal counsel is still meeting about the court case, and that there is no other update available at the moment.
In an offer of compromise, the legal counsel of H.S. Lee Construction earlier said the firm would reduce the request for public land from 1,950 square meters to 1,000 square meters, which would satisfy the needs of both the casino and H.S. Lee and help the government. Best Sunshine reportedly rejected the compromise.
Superior Court Associate Judge David A. Wiseman earlier issued the TRO, pending a hearing and determination of its motion for preliminary injunction.
Assistant attorney general Peter Prestley, counsel for DPL and DPL Secretary Pedro A. Tenorio, had opposed the TRO, saying they do not see any “irreparable harm” to H.S. Lee Construction.
Prestley also said there’s no lease agreement yet between DPL and H.S. Lee Construction regarding the land.
Attorney William Fitzgerald, counsel for H.S. Lee Construction, said that DPL first agreed to reserve 1,950 square meters for the 68 parking spaces of H.S. Lee’s building, but DPL later claimed the land will be needed for the casino project. Fitzgerald said if his client is not given the piece of land, the company will lose its investments.
