The City Will Open Bids On July 10 To Clear The Property Of The Old Pearl Cleaners Building Fire
By Jay Young
July 9, 2024
According to a notice sent to the owner, the city will open bids on July 10 to clear the remains of the old Pearl Cleaners building downtown.
In its notice, the City for the first time publicly acknowledged that the property is connected to Evansville native Eric Morgan, who in 2017 was convicted on charges that he took about $600,000 from investors for a company called Liquid Ninja Energy LLC.
The City-County Observer in May was the first to identify Morgan as the person behind The Pearl Development LLC, which owns the property at 428 NW Third St.
LINK to STORY https://city-countyobserver.com/breaking-news-owner-of-the-burnt-down-former-peal-clearners-site/
Morgan possibly won’t receive the new notice, because it was mailed to the outdated address claimed by the company. However the notice was also sent to Pearl Development’s attorney, Ryan M .Schulz, who on May 11 provided the Indiana Department of State a document that Pearl Development is located at a residence on West Buena Vista Dr.
Schulz hasn’t responded to emails or phone messages left at his office since January concerning the address situation. Morgan also hasn’t responded to messages.
Indiana Secretary of State spokeswoman Lindsey Eaton said a business must update its address in its biennial report. The report Schulz filed last month is the first since court records show Morgan was evicted from the house on West Buena Vista Road in April 2023. This house was sold after the eviction and the current owner said he doesn’t know anything about the corporation registered to his address.
The state attorney general’s office is responsible for enforcement of the requirement to update the corporation’s address. That office didn’t respond to multiple requests for comment.
Pearl Development hasn’t paid property taxes since it purchased the building in 2022. There is an outstanding $46,590 tax bill. Vanderburgh County Treasurer Dottie Thomas said mail to the company was returned as undeliverable and the debt will be sold at tax sale in September. Even after tax sale, the property could remain in limbo for more than a year.
