LAWSUITS NEWS & LEGAL INFORMATION
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Austin, MN: (Mar-12-08) Lowell Franzen, the feedlot officer for Mower County, obtained a feedlot permit for a 1,996 animal, hog confinement, facility to be located on 14 acres of land he owned in Lyle Township, in March 2007. The permit issued, listed Lowell Franzen as the party involved with this facility and made no mention of Santos Group or Holden Farms, the company he subsequently sold it to.
Franzen sold the 14 acres of undeveloped farmland to the Santos Group, LLC for $292,000, which is approximately $243,000 above market value and transferred the feedlot permit to the Santos Group. Infact, prior to the permit was issued, a purchase agreement was signed by Santos Group and Lowell Franzen, which states that Holden agreed to reimburse Franzen for the costs of getting the permit and paid him $264,000 for the land with the permit, which implies that this was a Holden controlled-operation. Franzen's neighbors accused him of using his position in the county to get the permits and profited more than $200,000 out of the deal.
After the accusation, Franzen was placed on paid leave, a judge ruled against a temporary injunction to stop the building of the feedlot last fall. Later, a judge ruled that the permits that Franzen was issued were granted to him legally after which, The Mower County Commissioners accepted Franzen's resignation and gave him nearly $65,000 as part of a settlement, which the county says, is the best option. The county will pay Franzen $56,000 along with almost $9,000 in accumulated paid time off. [KIMT NEWS: MOWER COUNTY FEEDLOT OFFICER RESIGNS]
Published on Mar-12-08
Franzen sold the 14 acres of undeveloped farmland to the Santos Group, LLC for $292,000, which is approximately $243,000 above market value and transferred the feedlot permit to the Santos Group. Infact, prior to the permit was issued, a purchase agreement was signed by Santos Group and Lowell Franzen, which states that Holden agreed to reimburse Franzen for the costs of getting the permit and paid him $264,000 for the land with the permit, which implies that this was a Holden controlled-operation. Franzen's neighbors accused him of using his position in the county to get the permits and profited more than $200,000 out of the deal.
After the accusation, Franzen was placed on paid leave, a judge ruled against a temporary injunction to stop the building of the feedlot last fall. Later, a judge ruled that the permits that Franzen was issued were granted to him legally after which, The Mower County Commissioners accepted Franzen's resignation and gave him nearly $65,000 as part of a settlement, which the county says, is the best option. The county will pay Franzen $56,000 along with almost $9,000 in accumulated paid time off. [
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