Macomb County Wins Freedom Hill Lawsuit

Jurors have decided that the Freedom Hill Amphitheatre in Sterling Heights, Mich., is not owed $250 million from Macomb County and instead owes $21,000 in legal costs.

Jurors found no cause for the lawsuit, brought by venue owner Hillside Productions, at U.S. District Court in Detroit May 5th. Hillside accused the county of sabotaging Freedom Hill’s sale to Palace Sports & Entertainment.

"These were the guys that won a $31 million [settlement] against Sterling Heights [in 2004] Macomb County attorney Al Addis told Crain’s Detroit Business. "And whatever was going on in terms of countersuits, the county was always the defendant in this case. For Hillside not to win on any of its claims, and then for our side to get even a nominal sum, is a big win for the county."

Macomb County Parks Commission demanded a change in parking revenues, which Hillside claims was the tipping point that chased PSE away from a shed purchase.

"It’s our sense that the jury just reached overload and came back with what we consider to be a very confusing verdict," Hillside spokesman Hank Riberas told Pollstar.

"They ruled in our favor, with regards to our allegations that the county had breached the contract and it resulted in the collapse of our merger deal with Palace Sports & Entertainment. However, although they ruled in our favor, they awarded us no damages, which is inexplicable."

Riberas said the jury ruled in the favor of the county that Freedom Hill had breached a contract in which the amphitheatre was to pay the county 1 percent of gross ticket sales, even though the county’s auditor testified that Freedom Hill did not breach the contract.

"Based on that, we don’’ know what to make of this verdict," Riberas said. "We’re very likely to appeal; we’re going to make a decision in the next 48 hours."