Dist. 204 looks to cut fees for attorneys in lawsuit

Indian Prairie Unit District 204 has asked a judge to dismiss more than $5.2 million in attorneys fees being sought by the Brach-Brodie property owners.

Additionally, the district is asking for hearings to be held to determine a reasonable amount of fees the district should be responsible for as a result of the recent failed condemnation suit brought by the district.

The district, which includes portions of Naperville, Aurora, Bolingbrook and Plainfield, already owns 25 acres of the Brach-Brodie site at 75th Street and Commons Drive in Aurora and intended to purchase an additional 55 acres of the property for the 3,000-student Metea Valley High School.

Those plans fell through in September, however, when a jury set the price of the land at $31 million -- about $17 million more than the district anticipated.

The district later decided to abandon its pursuit of the Brach-Brodie land and instead bought a site along Eola Road for $16.5 million.

According to the motions filed late Tuesday, the district is asking for claims up to $3 million to be stricken from those made by the Brodie Trust and $2.2 million from the Brach Trust.

The district also is challenging whether the trusts are eligible to be reimbursed for legislative lobbying aimed at preventing the condemnation.

District attorneys were unavailable Wednesday. Brodie Trust attorney Steve Helm acknowledged receiving the motions Wednesday morning but said he wouldn't be reviewing them until later this week.

"They told us they would be filing those motions to strike so we knew they were coming," Helm said. "I just don't know what all they're challenging yet."

Meanwhile, another circuit judge is expected to rule in August whether the Brodie Trust should be compensated for a reduction in value of its 55-acre parcel and the alleged $2.5 million in damages to the adjacent land a jury had ordered the district to pay if it purchased the property.