Alpha Sigma Phi Wins Over Kappa Sigma After Both Sign Leases For Same House
Though both Alpha Sigma Phi and Kappa Sigma thought they’d be moving into the quaint fraternity house at 328 E. Fairmount Avenue this fall, only one gaggle of brothers can occupy the space for the year…but both fraternities signed leases for the property.
After a little bit of frat house tug-of-war, a lot of confusion, and a court date, Alpha Sigma Phi won the 2015-16 leasing rights to the house at 328 E. Fairmount Avenue, which has been occupied by the fraternity for more than 70 years, according to the Centre Daily Times.
Greek Housing Services President Mark Maloney, who owns a majority of the E. Fairmount property, offered the house to Kappa Sigma after the property racked up enough points to potentially be considered a nuisance property by the State College borough, meaning no residency for the brothers and the possibility for a $250,000 fine for Maloney and his company if it was decided as such.
If a fraternity house being listed as a nuisance property sounds familiar, that’s because Maloney’s worst fear actually happened just a few months ago around the corner: Kappa Delta Rho (yes, this Kappa Delta Rho) had its rental housing permit suspended for six months after the property racked up a whopping 13 violation points between August 2014 and May 2015.
The Alpha Sig-Kappa Sig problem came to a head when members of Alpha Sig (who had paid their lease) noted a change to the lease agreement — the brothers house address was changed from the E. Fairmount to 420 E. Prospect Avenue, ex-home of KDR. Maloney, noting that Alpha Sig has a history of violations and a number of points while Kappa Sig only has one (for littering) and also wanting to protect his investment, offered the E. Fairmount house to the less-bad bad boys of Kappa Sig, and moved the brothers of Alpha Sig to the now-notorious 420 E. Prospect house.
Though Maloney made the argument that the Prospect Ave. house is actually nicer, there was one problem: no one is allowed to live there yet.
Seeing as the brothers of Alpha Sig had their contracts executed since 2014 but the members of Kappa Sig have only had theirs together since 2015, Centre County Judge Jonathan D. Grine awarded the E. Fairmount property to long-time inhabitants Alpha Sigma Phi.
Attorney to the fraternity, Jim Bryant, noted that the brothers are aware of their responsibilities to maintain the property. If they happen to forget, however, the $10,000 bond they must pay by Friday to assure good behavior will likely serve as a decent reminder.
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