(AP) — A court has granted the city of Rehoboth Beach a clean title to the property its new city hall is built on, clearing up an issue that could have affected the project's financing.

The Daily Times reports the building was constructed on land the city didn't have a clear deed for but had a long history of using.

On Friday, when no one disputed the city's ownership, the clean title was granted by Delaware's Chancery Court.

The federal government had been withholding the final $2.2 million payment of an $18 million construction loan because of the title confusion. It wanted unequivocal proof that the city owned the land.

The court's decision paves the way for that payment.