The German Village Society and Columbus City Schools have reached an accord over the disputed tax-exempt status of the society’s Meeting Haus, 588 S. Third St.

The society has agreed to pay the school district $88,875 in order to end litigation over the matter.

The amount represents a portion of the money in real estate taxes the society would have paid to the school district from 2000 to 2010.

The school district, in return, has withdrawn its objections to the exemption and Ohio Tax Commissioner Joe Testa has approved tax-exempt status for the Meeting Haus from 2011 forward.

"We always thought we were entitled to the exemption but you’re relieved to get a case like this settled," said Bill Case, president of the German Village Society Board of Trustees.

For more on this story, read the July 19 edition of ThisWeek German Village.