Church of Christ Scientist Secures Title to Condemned Historic Home After Legal Ruling

The dispute over the condemned historic home at 6 Fair Street in Nantucket has reached a legal conclusion after more than two years of litigation. The First Church of Christ Scientist emerged victorious in a Superior Court ruling that terminated Ara Charder’s life estate to the property. The decision, issued by Judge Robert Cosgrove on January 19, ordered Charder to vacate the home by next Tuesday and transfer full ownership to the church.

The property, which was conveyed to Charder through a trust in 2002 following the death of its former owner, Eric Pawley, was intended to be held by her for the duration of her natural life, after which it would pass to the church. The deed included a provision prohibiting Charder from selling the property. The church alleged that Charder had failed to maintain the home, leading to its deterioration. In 2019, the church commissioned a private engineering firm to assess the condition of the property, which identified structural issues such as a bowing front wall, a sagging roof, rotting windows, and exposed wiring.

The church’s lawsuit, filed in response to the property’s condition, claimed that Charder had ceased all reasonable care and maintenance of the home. The Wannacomet Water Company had already disconnected water service to the property in 2014, and it has not been restored. Charder and her attorney, Paul Revere, who is a descendant of the American Revolution figure, rejected the church’s claims, asserting that the church had not provided sufficient evidence to support its case.

In their court response, Charder and Revere argued that the church’s actions were an attempt to “bully” a 73-year-old woman out of her rights. They contended that the church had not proven that Charder had allowed the property to fall into disrepair, noting that she had lived at the home from 2003 through 2017 and continued to pay property taxes. Despite these claims, the court ruled that Charder’s life estate was terminated due to “waste,” awarding the property to the church.

The church has not publicly commented on the ruling, and the case has now moved to the appeals process. The Nantucket Preservation Trust, which has expressed concern over the condition of historic properties on the island, has not yet issued a formal statement on the matter. The outcome of the appeal will determine the future of the 6 Fair Street property, which is a two-story bungalow-style home constructed in the early 1900s.

Source: Read the original report