Moroun loses bid to get fees

[begingri]

By JOHN GALLAGHER
Detroit Free Press Business Write


In one of metro Detroit's longest-running court cases, Ambassador Bridge owner Manuel [[Matty) Moroun has lost his bid to recover $2.8 million in legal fees stemming from a 34-year-old legal battle with the federal government.

The U.S. seized some Moroun-owned property near the bridge in 1977 for its new customs booths. After protracted litigation to determine the value of the land, Moroun tried to recover his legal fees from the government.

Comparing the litigation with the endless dispute portrayed by Charles Dickens in his novel "Bleak House," the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit ruled Wednesday that Moroun was not entitled to the nearly $3 million in legal fees that he sought.

The case is one of many in which Moroun and his bridge are entangled. Other lawsuits filed by or against Moroun and his company involve a dispute over how Moroun built new ramps to the Ambassador Bridge, and Moroun's attempts to block construction of the proposed Detroit River International Crossing bridge that would compete with his privately owned bridge.

Moroun's Detroit International Bridge Co. had no immediate comment on the ruling.






Source: http://www.freep.com/article/2011020...s-bid-get-fees

[Detroitej72]

Anybody want to start a collection to help offset Matty's loses?

[fryar]

DIBC is sponsoring the downtown snow slide, or so I hear.

[Meddle]

Anybody want to start a collection to help offset Matty's loses?

You do that every time you drive over the bridge.

So use the tunnel instead.

[marcwigle]

You do that every time you drive over the bridge.

So use the tunnel instead.

Can trucks use the tunnel?

[mjs]

[Meddle]

Can trucks use the tunnel?

Most people don't drive trucks. Pulling car traffic off the bridge would sting MM quite a bit.

[marcwigle]

Most people don't drive trucks. Pulling car traffic off the bridge would sting MM quite a bit.

Not sure what you mean by "Most people don't drive trucks."... I assume that a large chunk of traffic on that bridge is the truck traffic. Can trucks use the tunnel? From the article above, MM owns part of the tunnel as welll so he wouild profit no matter what although he profits more by truck traffic on the bridge than whatever share of the profit he can generate from the tunnel.

[SWMAP]

Most trucks cannot use the tunnel. A small percentage of international trucking uses the tunnel and a very large percentage uses the Bridge. Not sure of the reasons, but the disparity is easily observable. Must be due to size of the tunnel and carrying trucks through the City centers.

[mtm49269]

DIBC is sponsoring the downtown snow slide, or so I hear.

Yeah, but at $3 per ride. Nice profit possible on that, too!

[yupislyr]

Not sure what you mean by "Most people don't drive trucks."... I assume that a large chunk of traffic on that bridge is the truck traffic. Can trucks use the tunnel? From the article above, MM owns part of the tunnel as welll so he wouild profit no matter what although he profits more by truck traffic on the bridge than whatever share of the profit he can generate from the tunnel.

The tunnel is owned 50/50 by Detroit and Windsor.

And yes, commercial trucks are allowed in the tunnel. Obviously the tunnel is even less well connected to highways than the bridge on the Canadian side though.

Not to mention less lanes, less custom booths, etc.

[BillyBBrew]

Most trucks cannot use the tunnel. A small percentage of international trucking uses the tunnel and a very large percentage uses the Bridge. Not sure of the reasons, but the disparity is easily observable. Must be due to size of the tunnel and carrying trucks through the City centers.

Overhead clearance in the tunnel is 13' 2", standard height of a semi trailer is 13' 6".