Judge Grants Expanded Power for Radisson Receivership Attorney

Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge James Kieffer has signed off on expanding the powers of receivership attorney overseeing operations at the Radisson Hotel.

Seth Dizard, the attorney appointed in November 2011 by the village of Menomonee Falls, in November petitioned the court to expand his authority over operations at the hotel. In the petition, Dizard is seeking the power to market and sell the hotel, as well as quell interference from members of the ownership group, which he claims threatens to erode the hotel’s value. The petition would allow the receiver to remove the ownership group's management authority over the hotel.

Kieffer signed the order to authorize those expanded powers Monday after the holidays delayed immediate action regarding the petition.

Dizard previously was authorized to maintain status quo operations at the hotel, but he didn’t have the authority to take actions deemed beneficial to the hotel. However, the village’s attorney in the case, Randall Crocker, said negotiations to settle a pending foreclosure lawsuit have reached an impasse, and simply maintaining the status quo won’t be enough to reach an amicable resolution.

The hopes are that Dizard can market the hotel and sell it to another investor to prevent the village’s pending foreclosure on the hotel from moving forward. If the hotel cannot be sold to investors, the foreclosure suit would proceed and a Sheriff’s auction of the hotel.

Dizard would also remove one of the original owners, Dean Grosskopf, from the payroll. Grosskopf was receiving payments of roughly $10,000 monthly for his work with the hotel. An assistant of his was also receiving $3,500 monthly, according to the petition submitted to the court in November.