PORT ANGELES — The Port of Port Angeles can take possession of KPly facilities once court papers are served to Klukwan Inc. of Alaska, which owns the shuttered mill on Marine Drive, Dave Neupert, port legal counsel, says.
It wasn’t clear if Klukwan has the right to appeal the Clallam County Superior Court judgment issued Friday that demanded payment of back rent and cleared the way for port repossession of the 19-acre site.
Once the port, which owns the waterfront site, takes possession, port officials will be able to negotiate directly with Josh Renshaw, a former KPly worker who wants to reopen the mill, or other potential investors, port Executive Director Bob McChesney said.
Klukwan closed the KPly mill on Nov. 2, laying off 132 workers. The closure was made permanent in April.
The port filed a default judgment against KPly Inc., owned by Klukwan, for back rent, and was granted a writ of restitution.
The judgment says that KPly must pay $212,788.71 for back rent and another $1,826.25 in attorney’s fees, at a 12 percent annual interest rate.
No paperwork was filed on behalf of KPly, and court records show that KPly representatives have not appeared at court hearings.
Klukwan officials have not returned phone calls requesting comment.
The Clallam County Sheriff’s Office is responsible for posting the notice on the building and sending the papers by certified mail to the Alaska owners, Neupert said.
Twenty days are allotted for the delivery, with another 20 permitted if the first attempt is unsuccessful.
After that point, the port may officially repossess the building, Neupert said.
“The port did what they felt was best interest of the rate payers and the public, and we have every faith that we will to continue to work to bring plant back up,” Renshaw said.
McChesney said it was too early to comment on negotiations.
