Frankenmuth settles Walmart case for $3.7M

FRANKENMUTH (AP) - The city of Frankenmuth has agreed to a $3.7 million settlement with a family whose attempt to sell their land for a Walmart store was blocked. The agreement was filed Wednesday in Bay City federal court. A jury in March awarded $3.8 million, saying the rights of the Loesel family were violated. The amount grew to about $5 million by August with years of interest and legal fees tacked on. The settlement cancels any possible appeals and closes the case. Ronald Loesel and family members sued Frankenmuth after officials restricted the size of stores to 65,000 square feet or less. The ordinance effectively killed the sale of their land for an outlet for Bentonville, Arkansas-based Wal-Mart Stores Inc. in 2006. Published: Fri, Nov 14, 2014