Anthony Ostlund wins slander of title lawsuit in Hennepin County District Court and Minnesota Court of Appeals
Client Issue
Anthony Ostlund’s client, a real estate developer of a luxury condominium building in downtown Minneapolis, had its development interrupted when a person filed a mechanic’s lien against the property falsely claiming that the developer owed him $1.3MM because the condominium development was supposedly his idea.
The Anthony Ostlund Approach
We filed a slander of title lawsuit against the person who filed the mechanic’s lien. When the defendant avoided service of the lawsuit, Anthony Ostlund successfully served the individual by publishing the Summons and Complaint in local publications. We litigated the case aggressively. We took discovery and quickly deposed the defendant. We moved for summary judgment and asked the court to award our client all of the attorney’s fees it incurred in the lawsuit to remove the slanderous title.
Results Achieved
Hennepin County District Court granted Anthony Ostlund’s summary judgment motion and awarded the client all of its attorney’s fees. The defendant appealed the decision to the Minnesota Court of Appeals, but the appellate court affirmed the district court’s summary judgment determination and award of attorney’s fees. The slanderous title was removed from the client’s property, and it was able to successfully complete its luxury condominium development.
Bridgeplace Associates, L.L.C. vs. Henry J. Lazniarz
