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The possible foreclosure on the U.S. Forest Service supervisor's building in Delta scheduled for next week is not expected to change the agency's occupancy of the structure near term.

The building is not owned by the federal government.

It is owned by a private individual whose $1.2 million note is being foreclosed by his lender.

Even if the building goes through foreclosure, the GMUG's lease will remain in place, explained JimVentrello, county treasurer. Ventrello also serves as the county's public trustee whose office is responsible for processing private lender foreclosure filings.

Ventrello said leases are protected by federal law as long as they are in writing.

The Forest Service's current lease doesn't expire until 2015, explained GMUG staff officer Lee Ann Loupe. "It is unlikely that we would be asked to move in the short term, and we are not making plans to do so at this time," she said.

"However," she added, "it is conceivable that this could change depending who acquires the building and any terms attached to the foreclosure."

The building has been working its way through foreclosure since September. The original noteholder that initiated the process was Evergreen Federal Savings and Loan Asociation. Ventrello told the DCI that Evergreen's note has since been bought by a company called PriceUtah LLC. The company has a Grand Junction address and owns another commercial building in North Delta. The company's registered agent is listed as Walid H. Bou-Matar, according to the secretary of state's office.

The GMUG building is listed for sale. Listing agent John Renfrow declined to comment on whether the PriceUtah LLC note assumption constitutes an actual sale. The DCI was not able to contact Bou-Matar.

Ventrello said that he had been in contact with an attorney for PriceUtah LLC. "They want to keep the lessor in place," Ventrello said he was told. As of Monday, Ventrello said his office had not yet received a bid on the building from the noteholder, nor from anyone else. "A lot of things could happen," he explained. "The foreclosure process could be continued for quite some time."

If the foreclosure goes through as scheduled, two weeks after the Jan. 18 sale date the new note owner could take delivery of a trustees deed to the property, Ventrello said.

Meanwhile, the GMUG has made plans to build a new headquarters just south of Delta on Hwy. 50.

Loupe added, "We are awaiting word on whether we will be successful in acquiring funding to construct a new office," Loupe said. "As far as (our current) office goes, the bank has been managing it for a few months. They have done some repairs, etc., and continue to. The timing for hearing back on funds for new construction is somewhat dependent on a budget from Congress, and then through the (Forest Service) nationally."

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