Three of the plaintiffs in a three-year-old lawsuit against Sturgeon County have dropped the suit, taking nearly $3.8 million out of a possible judgment.
Peter Pich, Bertold Hein and Roger and Lorraine Belland abandoned their portion of the lawsuit against the county in early October, according to court records the Gazette has obtained.
Those three, along with two other landowners who are still in the suit, launched it in 2006 over land the county helped arrange for Synenco Energy for a proposed upgrader.
The suit also targets Synenco, HMA Land Services, former county mayor Helmut Hinteregger, former county commissioner Larry Kirkpatrick and an agent working for HMA, Terry Jewell.
When originally filed the lawsuit sought $5.67 million in damages, but with three of the landowners abandoning their claims there remains possible damages of $1.9 million from the two landowners who still remain in the suit.
Synenco was one of the first companies to express an interest in building an upgrader in Sturgeon County back in 2005. They withdrew their plans after costs skyrocketed.
The company was later purchased by Total Energy, which also owns a proposed upgrader site in Strathcona County.
The lawsuit originally claimed all five landowners sold their land for $4,000 per acre after the county approached them about a land assembly.
The county bought options to purchase from the landowners, which it later sold to Synenco.
The landowners alleged in their claim that the county acted in bad faith during the negotiations, and that other landowners got higher prices for their land.
The two landowners who remain in the suit were making similar allegations, which still remain before the court.
All of the defendants denied the allegations in their original responses to the suit.
The county is insured for the lawsuit, but the outcome could still have an impact on the bottom line if their insurance rates were to increase.
Sturgeon County Mayor Don Rigney declined to comment extensively about the suit because two landowners remain in front of the courts.
He said generally the county would like to see the entire process resolved.
“We are doing all we can to bring this to a conclusion.”
Hinteregger, who is also named separately in the suit, said it was a good sign the three had decided not to pursue their claim any further.
“It reduces the potential liability, so obviously it is good news for the county.”
Hinteregger hopes the suit will be concluded soon.
“I am hoping we can get to a conclusion and see an end it.”
