W. BRICE MCVICAR
The Intelligencer
TYENDINAGA TERRITORY — Months of legal wrangling between the Mohawk band here and the owner of a Tyendinaga Territory store appear to be coming to a close.
A large sign on the Mohawk Liquidation Centre store on Old Highway 2 declares the store and gas bar will be closing its doors. The closure comes after the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte and the store's owner, Andrew Clifford Maracle (aka Miracle), have battled in court over the property.
The dispute began two years ago after band council informed Maracle he had no ownership right to the property, having bought the property from Shawn Brant and his father — neither of whom held title to the property, as an earlier court had determined. Maracle appealed the decision, but was denied. He had been fighting an order to vacate the property.
Roger Horst, the band council's lawyer, said he has been informed Maracle is vacating the property, though both sides will still appear in court later this week.
"We have been told by the lawyer representing Mohawk Liquidation that they will be vacating the property," Horst said. "We are still going to court on Thursday and we'll be talking about a few things though we have been told they'll be selling out the store and packing up and leaving. It's complying with the judgement and that's a good thing."
Horst said Thursday's court appearance will focus on a few matters such as transition of the property which still require attention. He said Maracle was informed at an earlier court date that he must pay the band council $10,000 by Thursday. Though that money had not been received by Tuesday afternoon, Horst said he suspects it will be paid by the court-ordered deadline of Wednesday.
Maracle was abrupt when reached for comment.
"I can't talk right now," Maracle said, before hanging up, when asked for a telephone interview Tuesday.