Contest seeks to give away Cardston’s Cobblestone Manor for 2nd time

Ivan Negrych is hoping the second time is the charm when it comes to giving away the Cobblestone Manor.

In 2019, he ran a similar contest to sell ownership of the business but later removed it due to what he called “social media pressures.”

His luck hasn’t been much better in the past few years.

“We tried to sell it with Sotheby’s International for the last year and a half, two years, and the interest rate has just killed the real estate market,” said Negrych.

Negrych and his wife Marsha have owned the business since 2002 and they are asking anyone who is interested in the contest to write a letter to them about what they would do if they owned the historic bed and breakfast.

1:51 Historic Alberta businesses up for grabs in writing contest

In order to enter there is a fee of $500 and the couple is looking for 3,000 letters, which equals $1.5 million, the total value of the property.

The contest rules say all of the money will be deposited into a bank trust account.

Negrych said he been accused before that the contest is a scam but assures people who are playing that if his goal isn’t reached all money will be refunded, just like the first contest.

“We ran it all — the rules and regulations — by all the government, the Competition Bureau, the liquor board and all those people that we are required to.”

According to the Competition Bureau, the Competition Act does not directly prohibit a requirement that participants pay money in order to take part in a contest.

However, it goes on to say it should be disclosed when a purchase is necessary in order to participate.

The contest will run until July 15, and if the goal is not reached by that time the plan is to extend it an additional 90 days.

The lucky winner will receive a clean title mortgage of the Cobblestone Manor.