Litigation reported settled
BY CLARE MARIE CELANO Staff Writer

FREEHOLD — A lawsuit filed against the Freehold Center Partnership, the Freehold Borough Special Improvement District (SID) and Freehold Borough by two property owners is reported to have been settled.

Carl Steinberg, who owns the Carlton Station commercial property at 2 Monmouth Ave., just off Throckmorton Street, and Freehold Center Cleaners Inc., 78 Throckmorton St., were listed as plaintiffs in the lawsuit.

Steinberg claimed that business owners on Throckmorton Street were not getting the same treatment from the partnership and the SID as business owners on Main Street were receiving.

He said he believed there were inconsistencies in the money raised by the partnership and how that money was dispersed.

The partnership oversees events and activities in the borough's business district.

The lawsuit also alleged there was improper conduct in the voting process held at the partnership's annual meeting on May 21.

The lawsuit stated that the actions of the partnership resulted in "economic harm to the interest of the plaintiffs and other property owners within the SID."

Attorney Lawrence Loigman of Middletown represented Steinberg and Paul Lussier, who owns the Freehold Center Cleaners.

Loigman said that in settling the litigation — which was filed within the past month — all sides agreed to work together for the betterment of downtown Freehold.

"They all want to put a damper on any recriminations out there," he said.

The attorney said all of the parties concerned want to "start fresh." He said the fact that the partnership has brought a new CEO on board is one element that "will help this new start."

Loigman said the partnership acknowledged there was "some merit" in the claim from Steinberg and Lussier, and said the organization will "take some measures to satisfy everyone to help things go the way they should be going."

"A lot of this depends on the development of trust. It's a handshake type of relationship and we are hoping it will all work out," Loigman said.

Attorney Elias Abilheira, who is representing the Freehold Center Partnership, said the group would have a statement about the litigation after representatives of the organization meet this week.