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                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, January 13, 1993                   TAG: 9301130319
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: DWAYNE YANCEY
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

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EXPLORE EX-BUILDER SUES OVER CHRISTMAS TREES

Ren Heard is set to tangle again with the Explore Park in court.

This time, he wants custody of his Christmas trees.

Or, at least what he claims are his Christmas trees.

The colorful Roanoke builder, who served about two years as the living-history park's master builder, filed suit against Explore in Roanoke Circuit Court on Tuesday.

He claims he planted 7,000 pine trees on Explore's farm in eastern Roanoke County while he was living there in 1989 and 1990 - and that he and Explore signed an agreement to split the crop when it matured in about five to seven years.

But in 1990, Heard's contract as master builder wasn't renewed, and when he didn't move out of the park's farmhouse, Explore went to court to evict him.

Since then, Heard charges, Explore hasn't let him onto the property to care for the trees.

He wants Explore to pay him $70,000, which he says will cover the market value of the trees.

But Explore's lawyer, Greg Haley, contends any agreement regarding the trees was part of Heard's lease - and ran out when the court evicted him.

Heard claims many of the trees have died because he hasn't been there to take care of them.

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