We’ve got a story about how noted speculator Dennis Kefallinos quit paying taxes on the Civic Theater, sending it into tax foreclosure. At auction, the winning bidder turned out to be his daughter, Dionysia Kefallinos.
Dennis himself continues to bid at the annual tax auction — openly violating Wayne County’s own rules. But what’s rich is that Dennis could theoretically file a claim for the county’s profits on the Civic Theater sale. While his business manager said that hasn’t happened, the situation raises important questions about who benefits from this system.
Plus, three months after going on strike, employees at Marathon Petroleum’s refinery in Southwest Detroit reached a deal with the oil giant and ratified a seven-year agreement. The contract includes wage increases and maintains employee health care and pensions.
In other news, the city reached a $30,000 settlement (paywalled) with the family of two children killed by a driver fleeing police in 2015. The family’s lawyer said the meager settlement was “better than nothing” and that the family will continue to suffer indefinitely after the crash killed Michaelangelo and Makiah Jackson, who were 6 and 3 years old at the time. We’re curious to know how closely Detroit police officers adhere to the department’s current pursuit policy — which is supposed to limit chases to “the most serious crimes.”