At the July 16th VGTHOG meeting, it was revealed there are current and potential threats to hangar owners and tenants at KVGT airport. The issues center around the land leases and planned hangar removals.
To wit:
1. CCDOA has begun inserting language into new assignment and assumption agreements stating land leases will NOT be renewed once they expire. It is clear CCDOA intends to take ownership of the hangars at the end of the leases.
2. The planned expansion of the airport shows extreme setbacks (assumed to accommodate the wider wingspans of larger jet aircraft) requiring the destruction of hangars and other buildings on the North-West section of the airport. The CCDOA has not offered an alternative space for these hangars.
3. The CCDOA now takes months (where once it took days) to approve assignment and assumption agreements. These actions are casting a pall over hangar ownership and are suppressing value and stalling sales.
Despite a HUGE demand and backlog for hangars and hangar space on the field the CCDOA is instead removing structures to expand tie-down spaces which the airport leases directly. And appear to be targeting existing hangars (built and maintained at private owners expense) for removal to make way for large commercial jet space.
Several lawyers are also hangar owners and have a vested interest. They have provided professional guidance but recognize we may need outside counsel and professional lobbyists to fight the excesses already being waged against General Aviation and HOG members.
The group must have the ability to utilize legal resources to be effective.
We are asking that all members donate a minimum of $2,500 to the legal defense fund. Several, of the big hangar owners have volunteered to donate between $10,000 to $30,000. The money goes into a lawyer’s escrow account held on behalf of the VGTHOG organization. Funds will be utilized to retain an outside lawyer group and professional lobbyist with effective clout. This is a small investment to try to save hundreds of hangars with values ranging from $200,000 to over $1,000,000.
Donors should recognize and remember how much they stand to lose. All donations are considered contributions made on behalf of the VGT Hangars Owners Group, which is a client of the firm - the FLIGHT & COMMERCE law firm.
Funds are being held in a common trust account of the law firm established at Nevada State Bank, Las Vegas Bridger Branch, in full compliance with the Nevada Rules of Professional Conduct. No funds will be disbursed from the trust account without the joint approval of the attorney-trustee and the VGT Hangar Owners Group Board of Directors. The attorney-trustee will maintain a professional ledger of all donations and will provide periodic reporting to the Board or upon request.
