GRAND RAPIDS − A local restaurant is at risk of losing its liquor license after the property’s taxes were found to be unpaid for three years.
During a special Grand Rapids Town Board meeting June 23, board members considered not renewing the liquor license for Savory Steakhouse, 4320 80th St. S. The taxes on the property had not been paid for 2023, 2024 and 2025, said Jeff Kuhn, town chairman.
Grand Rapids has a town statute that requires the town to not renew a liquor license when the property’s taxes are more than a year past due, said Attorney Nicholas Abts, the town’s attorney. The statute refers to the property and not the business owner, so if a business rents the property and the owner doesn’t pay the taxes, the liquor license for the business will still not be renewed.
John Ross, the owner of Savory Steakhouse, told the Town Board at the June 23 meeting that he had a land contract with the owners since he took over the business in 2020. The restaurant had previously been Marjorie’s Steakhouse between 2015 and 2019 and before that was Conley’s for about 50 years.
In a land contract, the buyer makes payments to the property owner rather then taking out a bank loan. The buyer takes immediate possession of the property while the seller maintains ownership of the title until the contract is paid off. Ross said he finished paying off the land contract he had for the Savory Steakhouse property a few weeks ago.
Ross said, as part of the land contract, the previous owners had agreed to pay the property taxes. When one of the previous owners died, the contract was redone and the property tax payments were forgotten when the new contract was written, Ross said. He said he didn’t know the taxes on the property were delinquent until he received a letter from the town about a week ago stating there would be a special Town Board meeting to consider not renewing the license.
Ross said he immediately went to the Wood County Treasurer’s Office and asked what he needed to do to keep his license and keep his business open. He learned the state statutes weren’t as strict and he immediately paid the 2022 taxes, which would allow him to keep his liquor license using state requirements. He submitted the payment receipt to the town’s treasurer.
Abts told the Town Board members they have little discretion when it comes to the liquor license renewals for properties with unpaid taxes. He warned them that if they make an exception for one liquor license, other license holders who don’t get renewed for tax reasons could claim discrimination. Abts said the one thing they could do is not consider the 2025 taxes as more than a year past due. It would give Ross time to pay the final year’s amount.
Kuhn said the amount Ross owes for 2023 and 2024 is $5,211.41. The Town Board unanimously approved not renewing Ross’ license, but left it open so that if he pays the $5,211.41 by June 30, his liquor license will renew.
Ross said he was excited about getting the land contract paid off and has plans for making changes to the restaurant that he has wanted to do for the past five years. He said he did not intend to let the restaurant close.
Contact Karen Madden kmadden@usatodayco.com. Follow her on Twitter @KMadden715, Instagram @kmadden715 or Facebook at www.facebook.com/karen.madden.33.
This article originally appeared on Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune: Grand Rapids restaurant’s liquor license at risk due to unpaid taxes
Reporting by Karen Madden, Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune / Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune
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By Karen Madden, Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune | USA TODAY Network
