Towpath Radio 2024 Lawsuit Over Bass Street Property in Grand Rapids Resolved
Written by Towpath Radio on November 11, 2025
Grand Rapids, Ohio – A 2024 lawsuit filed by Grand Rapids property owner Lynn Sylvain has been resolved in Wood County Common Pleas Court, with the outcome favoring the Village of Grand Rapids. Sylvain, who also serves on Village Council, brought the case after early discussions began about building a public parking lot near her property west of Town Hall. The small outbuilding on her lot extended into the Bass Street right-of-way, and that area became the focus of the dispute. The Village and the Wood County Treasurer were both named in the case.
After months of filings, Judge Mary “Molly” L. Mack issued a decision on July 11, 2025, granting part of the Village’s motion for summary judgment. That ruling dismissed one of Sylvain’s claims and left only her “adverse possession” claim for trial. Adverse possession is a legal argument in which someone tries to gain ownership of land by showing they have openly used and maintained it as their own for a long period of time.
A few days later, on July 16, the court canceled a planned two-day bench trial and set a phone conference for later that month. On October 22, 2025, the court issued a consent judgment, which officially ended the case and made the decision final.
The order states that Sylvain has no ownership or claim to Bass Street or its adjacent right-of-way and must remove her belongings from the outbuilding by November 16, 2025. The Village now has full authority to maintain and use the entire right-of-way. Sylvain’s remaining claim was dismissed with prejudice, meaning it cannot be refiled, while the Village’s counterclaim was dismissed without prejudice, meaning it could be refiled later if needed.
During the Grand Rapids Village Council meeting on October 27, 2025, Mayor John Berry spoke about the cost of the case after council returned from executive session. He said the Village’s legal fees totaled nearly $40,000. “I’m sorry that we had to spend that money,” Berry said. “That could have done a lot of things.”
The case, Wood County Common Pleas Court Case No. 2024 CV 0125, is now closed.
This report is based entirely on official Wood County court filings and public statements made during the October 27, 2025 council meeting.
Read NWO Community Media’s initial 2024 report here.
*Story edited to correct dates
