{ Edmund } Ford drops lawsuit against landlord, agrees to leave

Memphis Commercial Appeal ^ | 8/7/7 | Lawrence Buser

[SmithL]

Memphis City Councilman Edmund Ford agreed this morning to drop a lawsuit seeking to force his funeral home landlord to sign a sales agreement. Ford also agreed to leave the property on Elvis Presley Boulevard in 45 days.

Attorney Handel Durham, who represents Ford, said his client will seek a new location for the E. H. Ford Mortuary Services he has operated the past 12 years, including the last three at the present location.

The settlement with landlord Dennis Churchwell was announced in Chancery Court where a hearing was to be held before Chancellor Kenny Armstrong.

"He’s not out of business, but he’s going to relocate," said Durham. "He’s been looking."

Ford filed suit last month seeking to enforce what he said was an agreement for Churchwell to sell him the property at 3390 Elvis Presley for $350,000 and to halt eviction proceedings in civil court.

Apparently not part of the agreement Tuesday was an issue of whether Ford was six months behind in rent — some $15,000 — as Churchwell contends.

Durham said his client disagrees that he is overdue on six months’ rent.

Churchwell was indicted in July for lying to a grand jury that was investigating whether Ford received a break on his $2,500-a-month rent in return for help in getting Churchwell special-use permits to store heavy equipment.

Ford is under indictment for bribery and extortion in matters unrelated to the property lease.

[SmithL]

Shelby County's dead voters have to live somewhere.

[oyez]

Is it true that Chancery Court is building an addition to the court house and they are going to name it the Ford wing?

[SmithL]

I’d be interested in seeing the Ford wing at the jail.