Jerry Gershner, principal of Gershner Realty Services ofOssining filed a $120 million lawsuit on Dec. 4 against the Town ofOssining, Town Supervisor John Chervokas, members of the Town Boardas well as Richard S. Bell, principal of Richard S. Bell Plumbing& Heating Inc. of Millwood.

Gershner's lawsuit states that he was retained by Bell in May2001 to sell a one-acre piece of vacant property that Bell owned at507 North State Rd. in the Town of Ossining. He charged that over aperiod of several months, Gershner submitted offers for the landfrom several prospective buyers, although none of those deals wereconsummated. In October 2001, Gershner contacted Town SupervisorChervokas about the availability of Bell's property for the town'snew police station, and a month later was told by Chervokas thatthe town wanted to buy the Bell property. On Dec. 6, 2001, the townmade a proposal to Bell to buy the property without notifyingGershner, the suit charges. On August 12, 2002, the Town ofOssining purchased the property directly from Bell for $431,000.Subsequently, Gershner said that Bell and the Town of Ossining haverefused to pay his firm the brokerage commission, which he saidshould have been $25,860. Construction has yet to begin on thetown's new police station.

Town Supervisor Chervokas, who said he had to limit his commentsdue to the litigation, told GlobeSt.com, "This really is a disputebetween the seller of the property and the broker. The facts willclearly show that there has been no wrongdoing by the Town ofOssining and its elected officials."