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Shelley Osterloh ReportingA sorority at the University of Utah is at odds with its national organization over who owns the sorority house.
The Delta Delta Delta national Sorority dissolved the chapter at the U earlier this year, but the house on Fraternity row is worth about 750-thousand dollars. Who controls that money when it's sold is the issue.
Just last year, the Theta Phi chapter of Delta Delta Delta celebrated 75 years on the U of U campus. At the same time, they got word that national was closing the chapter down. One reason was low membership. In 20 years they slipped from 125 members to just 35. Though disappointed to lose their active status, Sorority alumni are fighting to control the money when their house is sold.
Colleen Malouf, Delta Delta Delta House Board: "The entire chapter house has always been paid for with Utah funds, we believe those funds should stay in Utah."
Colleen Malouf and Lexi Casalino are a generation apart but sisters in Delta Delta Delta. They say there are a couple of fraternities interested in buying the house. They want to use the funds from the sale -- about 750 thousand dollars -- to continue the charity work they have done for many years.
Lexi Caslino, Delta Delta Delta Pres. House Board: "Hopefully to benefit our philanthropy, which is children's cancer charities, something to do with cancer, breast cancer, children cancer."
The local attorney representing the national Delta Delta Delta says the bylaws give the chapter's assests to the national organization.
"They would then keep the assets, sell the house, keep those proceeds and have them available in hopes that sometime in the next 10 or 15 years the chapter gets large enough again to survive."
The local alums say it's very unlikely at this time that they could get the 50 girls necessary to reestablish the chapter. They believe the money would just go to building new houses elsewhere in the country where Greek membership is on the rise.
Colleen Malouf, Delta Delta Delta House Board: "We hope that a judge will agree with us that the money should stay in Utah."
Unless an agreement is reached, a judge will have to make that decision. Unfortunately, membership in the Greek fraternities isn't as strong as it used to be -- partly because the U is a commuter school and there are just lots of other activities and organizations for students.
