Warsaw’s Economy Inn was sold to a new owner in September. A civil suit brought forward by the building’s former owner has been dismissed. InkFreeNews photo by Leah Sander.

By Liz Shepherd
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — Warsaw’s Economy Inn has been sold to a new owner.

According to Kosciusko County Beacon GIS, the property was sold for $400,000 on Thursday, Sept. 2. The deeded owner is listed as Shivpal LLC, Warsaw. InBiz lists Shivpal LLC’s registered owner as Rajesh Patel.

Following the purchase, Jay Patel, Economy Inn’s former owner, filed a motion on Thursday, Sept. 9, requesting the court dismiss a civil suit he filed against the City of Warsaw regarding the proposed demolition of the building.

Kosciusko Circuit Court Judge Michael Reed granted Patel’s motion to dismiss the case with prejudice. When a case is dismissed with prejudice, it means the case is dismissed permanently and cannot be brought back to court.

During a Warsaw Code Enforcement meeting on June 22, Hearing Officer Thomas Earhart ordered the inn, located at 3521 Lake City Highway, be demolished. The building was damaged in a May 2019 windstorm, requiring numerous and extensive repairs since then.

Following the demolition order, Patel filed a verified complaint for judicial review in Kosciusko Circuit Court on July 2. In the complaint, Patel argued that he sent continuous updates to the case’s defendants on progress in making repairs to the building.

He argued that demolition of the building would “substantially and irreparably impair and damage” Patel’s ability to repair Economy Inn. Court documents also argued that the injury Patel would suffer if the property were demolished “substantially outweighs the city’s interest in immediately demolishing the property.”