A Denver jury awarded a former fraternity a $695,000 judgment in a suit involving its shuttered frat house near the University of Denver campus.
The jury, after a five-day trial last week, returned with the award Friday in Denver District Court.
The Phi Kappa Sigma Building Corp. of Colorado brought suit against the university in November 2013, seeking $2.94 million.
The fraternity, which was shut down by the university in 2012 for alcohol and marijuana violations, sought compensation for its fraternity house built by the nonprofit building corporation.
The university owns the property where the building is located, at 2455 E. Asbury Ave. The fraternity had a 99-year lease on the property and was seeking compensation since the fraternity was shut down.
“It’s about the same amount of money we thought the fraternity house was valued at,” said Will Jones, a DU spokesman.
Attorney Alan Hendrix, a DU and Phi Kappa Sigma alumnus, represented the nonprofit in the case.
“We had a land lease, we built the house, the university had the property underneath it,” Hendrix said.
“The nonprofit owned the house. The big fight was — the value of the house.”
The jury came back with a $690,000 award for the structure and a $5,000 settlement against the university for “trespassing” as the matter played out, Hendrix said.
The university, which periodically offers dissolved fraternities an application at reinstatement, is considering whether it will appeal the jury award.
Kieran Nicholson: 303-954-1822, knicholson@denverpost.com or
