A judge has ruled in favor of the city of Detroit in a yearslong dispute with Robert Carmack over a piece of property he claimed to own. Carmack, the owner of a collision shop and a frequent attendee of city council meetings, sold the property to Moby Dick Ventures LLC in 2016 for $1 million, despite not actually owning it. This led to felony charges against Carmack, which were later dismissed.

Wayne County Circuit Judge Leslie Kim Smith has ordered Carmack to pay $1 million to Moby Dick Ventures, and the property will be returned to the city of Detroit. The judge described Carmack’s actions as fraudulent.

City officials are relieved and see the ruling as a victory. Detroit Corporation Counsel Conrad Mallett stated, “The record is now official. Carmack attempted to steal property from the city and sold property he did not own. We’ve maintained this since the beginning. We are victorious and relieved that this nightmare has now come to an end.”

Carmack had claimed that the city sent him a copy of a deed for the property, which he never paid for. However, the city maintains that the property transfer never took place because Carmack failed to complete the necessary payment. The lawsuit states that the “deed was inoperative to convey the property to Carmack.”

Carmack expressed his frustration with the ruling, stating that he discovered the decision shortly after speaking during a public comment session at a City Council meeting. He accused the court system of corruption and claimed that the city administration was trying to destroy his life.

Now that the dispute has been resolved, the city of Detroit plans to offer the property for sale. This ruling brings an end to a long and contentious legal battle over ownership rights.

Sources:
– Detroit Free Press (Dana Afana)