BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — The owners of the historical Graves Light Station in Boston Harbor are speaking out about the town of Hull requesting taxes from them.
The light station was sold to owner Dave Waller and another family in 2013 after it went to public auction. Waller said that no municipality appeared to have claim to it or wanted it when it was auctioned.
But Waller told WBZ NewsRadio's Karyn Regal — that now the town of Hull is demanding the owners pay taxes, issuing late fees of $25,000 dollars a day.
According to a statement from the Graves Light Facebook page, the town manager of Hull is attempting to annex the area, and has sought a restraining order to stop the owner's seven-year project to restore the station.
"Graves Ledge is an unincorporated territory outside the jurisdiction of any town," the statement reads. "The town never indicated any interest in Graves until after we were almost done with all our work to bring back the lighthouse."
Waller and the other owners have gone to court to fight the town, citing that the the coast guard offered the station to surrounding towns for free when it was in poor condition, and they declined.
"Once they saw that it was a really nice taxable thing that we had built, they just came with a tin cup," Waller said. "And I think its just a shakedown.”
Waller said if Hull town officials could show documents claiming the station, taxes would be paid.
WBZ NewsRadio has reached out to the Hull Town Manager on Tuesday morning for comment. We are awaiting a response, and will update this article accordingly.
WBZ NewsRadio's Karyn Regal (@KarynRegal) reports.
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(Photo: http://graveslightstation.com)