Gay Sutton men to sue diocese over failed purchase of Northbridge mansion

WORCESTER (MA)
Telegram & Gazette

By Linda Bock TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
lbock@telegram.com

WORCESTER — Two gay Sutton men plan to file a lawsuit in Worcester Superior Court today against Affirmation Inc., an affiliate of the Diocese of Worcester, and other parties.

Worcester law firm Carvajal & Nielson will hold a press conference at 11:30 this morning at the courthouse, 225 Main St., to make the announcement.

James Fairbanks and Alain Beret, who live in Sutton, were pursuing the purchase of Oakhurst, a 44-bedroom mansion in Northbridge, owned by the Diocese of Worcester. The couple had searched for two years for property for the renovation project, and hoped to turn the estate into a banquet facility. Previously, the pair had transformed mansions in Vermont and Barre into similar businesses.

The asking price of $1.4 million was negotiated to $1 million. On May 18, the pair signed an offer to purchase with a $75,000 deposit.

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