Though the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity is not currently recognized on campus, an existing contract with the University gives the group rights to its original campus house, with several strings attached.
The fraternity maintains the ability to repurchase its house for $1, under a contract made with the University in the 1960s.
Since the beginning of the semester, the Stouffer College House Annex -- which formerly housed the ZBT fraternity brothers -- has been a center of controversy.
The building, which is located at 235 S. 39th St., is currently inhabited by mainly transfer students, and is owned and operated by the University. However, its history aligns more closely with that of the former fraternity that it used to house.
"We used to own that property," said Leonard Malmud, one of the trustees of the Theta chapter of ZBT, as well as an honorary national officer of the fraternity. "We built the house in 1930, took out a mortgage to pay for it and ended up paying it off in the late 1940s."
However, the ZBT Theta chapter, which was formed in 1907, sold the property and building to the University for $1 in the 1960s. It was at this time that the city of Philadelphia began to charge buildings a real-estate tax.
"The purpose of this transaction was to avoid property taxes, which was done by turning it over to the University, a nonprofit organization," Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs Director Scott Reikofski said.
This partnership put the University in charge of the health and safety of the building, which made the deal appear beneficial for both parties.
Also incorporated into the transaction was a reversionary contract that allowed the fraternity to re-purchase the house for $1, according to Malmud.
"The fraternity could buy the house back, but this would then allow the University the chance to purchase the house back at street value," Reikofski said.
Although the future of the ZBT fraternity is still in question, the goals of the trustees are clear.
"We don't want to buy the house back -- we want to get on campus," Malmud said. "The fraternity hopes to come back, and we would eventually like to live in our property."
Since there is no guarantee that the fraternity will be returning to campus, it is now being used for residential housing.
"If the chapter is not using the house," Reikofski added, "the University must use it for student housing."
Malmud also commented on the current use of the house.
"We are upset, but the University has the right to turn over housing if the fraternity can't come back on campus, and we have no objection to its use."
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