Bedford Humane Society to Sell Estate Involved in Lengthy Dispute

Jun 20, 07:11 AM

Current Headlines: By Justin Faulconer, The News & Advance, Lynchburg, Va.

Jun. 20--After more than two years of litigation, the Bedford Humane Society has decided to sell the estate of a Forest man whose will had been disputed in court.

The nonprofit organization received ownership of the estate of Vernon Lybolt Jr., which has been valued at $600,000, following a ruling by the Virginia Supreme Court in February.

The humane society's board of directors decided in the past week to sell the estate and use the proceeds to purchase a new facility, Doreen Ehasz, executive director of the humane society, said on Tuesday.

It had considered operating from Lybolt's property in Forest, but the decision to locate elsewhere came down to setting, she said.

"We felt we needed to be a more centralized location," Ehasz said.

A ruling last July by Bedford County Circuit Court Judge James Updike that gave the humane society sole possession stipulated that the organization use the money to build or buy an animal shelter.

The humane society also plans to auction contents within the estate, such as furniture, sometime in the next two months. No date has been set.

Lybolt, who died in July 2004 at age 57, had left the estate to "The Bedford County ASPCA, Animal Shelter" but no organization with that name exists.

The Bedford County Animal Shelter, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and relatives of Lybolt, who was unmarried with no children, also contested for the estate.

Operational since 1994, the humane society had just a $15,000 budget before Lybolt's will. Ehasz said Lybolt's donation, as generous as it was, is just enough to get the shelter started.

"We'll have to rely on the public to support it," she said.

The humane society is searching for a place to locate a no-kill shelter with limited admissions. It will be named after Lybolt.

Animals currently stay in foster homes. Once a new shelter is built or bought, Ehasz said the aim is not to just scoop any unclaimed pets off the street.

"We'll be focusing on adoptable animals," she said.

County officials will have to iron out a land-use problem in how to zone a new shelter.

Mary Zirkle, chief planner in the department of community development, said that kennels aren't categorized in Bedford County's zoning laws.

"We're trying to figure out how they fit in with the zoning ordinance," she said.

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