(Ann Arbor) Furniture maker losing fight for land after 30 years

[skipos]

Custom furniture maker Peter Beal is ending nearly 30 years of living and working at one of Ann Arbor's quirkiest properties - 1.3 acres tucked into the triangle of land where Scio Church Road crosses over I-94 on the southwest edge of the city.

The thousands of motorists who each day pass by the landmark Ice Cube Arena on their way into and out of Ann Arbor also pass by the entrance to Beal's wooded property with the small sign out front advertising eggs for sale. It is a rustic property struggling to keep its rural feel as the hustle and bustle of the urban area tightens its grip all around.

But Beal is not leaving because the city encroaches. He is leaving because he got careless about paying his taxes in 1995 and a Florida company purchased the tax lien in 1998. The company has foreclosed on the property and plans to resell it as another residence.

After years of stalling the process, Beal says he can no longer fight back. He is out of resources and nearly out of hope. He will be off the property by the end of April, he says.

Beal's friends lament it as the ultimate sign of the times - a faceless business from another state bumps a well-known Ann Arbor artisan from the home and workplace he loves.

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