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| R. Kelly drops suit over security shack |
1/17/2007 |
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OLYMPIA FIELDS, Ill. (AP) — R. Kelly is ending his feud with this south suburban village over a guard shack.
The Grammy-winning R&B singer recently agreed to drop his legal challenge against Olympia Fields that claimed the community improperly denied him the right to build a guardhouse outside his mansion.
The Chicago native, whose real name is Robert Kelly, also agreed to pay the village of 4,700 residents more than $20,000 to cover attorney fees and code-violation fines.
"Robert Kelly wants to be a good neighbor," said John Touhy, his attorney.
The community 20 miles south of Chicago doesn''t allow guard shacks at houses and sued Kelly after the building was constructed without proper permits.
But Kelly, 40, filed a lawsuit of his own, arguing that he should be granted an exception to village code because of his status as "a nationally known, Grammy Award-winning recording artist."
The offending guard building has been torn down, and the village dropped its lawsuit.
Village officials say the spat never was personal and even honored Kelly for his holiday decorations.
"He had streams of lights running up and down the roof of this huge house, lights on the trees, all kinds of stuff," said Village President Linzy Jones, also one of Kelly''s neighbors. "It was spectacular."
Kelly is awaiting trial in Cook County on 14 counts of child pornography after prosecutors said he videotaped having sex with an underage girl.
He has pleaded not guilty
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