By Shereen Siewert
GREEN BAY — A Florida company claims the developer of Wausau’s Riverlife project owes the company more than $153,000 after a check paying for design services at Green Bay’s Hotel Northland bounced in January, according to court documents.
The suit is one of four open cases in Wisconsin involving Michael Franz, the senior project manager of a $100 million multi-phase riverfront development on Wausau’s east side. Frantz Community Investors, the original developer entity chosen by the city through an RFP process in 2016, is also named in the suit, which was filed Feb. 3 in Brown County Circuit Court.
According to the complaint, obtained this week by Wausau Pilot and Review, Guru of Luxury, LLC signed an agreement in June 2015 to oversee the design plan as well as oversee installation of furnishings and fixtures for the hotel project. Under the terms of the contract, which is included in the complaint document, Guru was to be paid $7,500 per month and $5,000 upon completion, for a total of $125,000 plus expenses.
Guru claims the company did perform those services, and the company’s work was featured in the appraisal prepared for a former senior lender of the project, court documents state. By mid-December, 2015, those design services were complete, and on Dec. 24, 2015, Frantz Community Investors issued a check to Guru. Court documents did not state the exact amount of the check issued.
When Guru received the check, according to the complaint, either Michael Frantz or Frantz Community Investors requested the company “wait to deposit the check until 2016,” and Guru agreed. But even after waiting, the check, deposited Jan. 8, 2016, was returned as a chargeback on Jan. 13, 2016, according to the complaint.
Now, Guru is asking a judge to award $153,482 for services completed, plus court costs and attorney fees.
Future court dates have not yet been set.2017CV000143 SAC1168663_7751297469766069291-1
