News

With judgment day near, Neill drops price of property pledged to victims

Commercial property at 800 S. Grove St. is offered for $1.95 million.

By Bill Moss, Published: April 19, 2013

Two weeks before he faces judgment day for stealing $3 million from trust funds and estates, disbarred attorney Sam Neill dropped the price of property that he has put up as restitution by $1 million.

The Neill family authorized the reduction from $2.95 million to $1.95 million of the 6.94-acre piece of commercial property on South Grove Street at Spartanburg Highway, the real estate broker handling the sale said. Neill received a half interest in the property, site of the old Joy Drive-In, when his father died, according to court records. It is jointly owned by Neill, his brother, Roy Neill. The property, which contains 11 buildings, is assessed for tax purposes at $2,086,000.
"I believe we should start attracting some offers," said Eric Goodman, a broker with Southern Commercial, the listing agent. "It's now within market value. I look for increased activity."
Goodman pointed out that the property is on a visible corner with a stoplight and is next to the old Hendersonville Christian School property, which the county is developing as a soccer park and gym.
The family had put the property on the market after Neill offered it as restitution to the Community Foundation and Four Seasons Compassion for Life, which were supposed to split the $800,000 estate of Barry Clemo.
"It gives it a better chance of selling because the price is more reasonable but it's still a tough market," said Chris Comeaux, the Four Seasons CEO. If Four Seasons and the Community Foundation only received Neill's half and then had to split that, a best case scenario would result in a payment of under $250,000.
"Obviously it makes it very doubtful that we're ever going to be made whole," Comeaux said.