NATCHEZ, Miss. — The City of Natchez is preparing to file suit against Titan Tire Corp., a subsidiary of Titan International Inc., for alleged nonpayment of rent on property Titan leased in the late 1990s.
The Natchez city council voted July 11 to file a lawsuit against Titan, according to Robert C. Latham, a Natchez attorney representing the city.
The property in question is a former Armstrong Tire & Rubber Co. plant, the lease for which a company called Condere Corp. — which did business as Fidelity Tire Manufacturing Corp. — took over in 1986. When Condere went bankrupt in 1998, Titan assumed the lease and manufactured truck tires at the plant until a strike closed it in 2001.
The lawsuit also concerns environmental and other issues as well as rent, according to Mr. Latham. However, the suit has not yet been filed.
"We've consulted a law firm in Jackson, and we're preparing the case with their help," he said.
The amount of back rent will be calculated against a number of variables, including credit for taxes paid, Mr. Latham said.
Titan officials could not be reached for comment.