Lawyers: No real winners in Rock Tops judgments

There were no real winners after three court judgments for nearly $1 million and an out-of-court settlement in a fourth case against the now-shuttered granite countertop maker Rock Tops Inc., attorneys said.

Macomb County Circuit Judge Peter Maceroni entered a default judgment earlier this month for $296,576.01 against the Macomb Township company and its former president, Robert Thiede.

The company closed Dec. 19, allegedly without informing employees or several vendors or customers, giving rise to five lawsuits.

The latest judgment brings the total to $976,203 in three lawsuits: one by Prospect Investments L.L.C., another by Tucker, Ga.-based GranQuartz L.P., and one by Industrial Trade & Technology L.L.C. of New Jersey and Ohio. The other two judgments were entered in March.

A fourth case, on behalf of Farmington Hills-based Dwyer Marble & Stone Supply Inc., was settled after the company bought some of Rock Tops’ inventory at auction to sell, said Ronald Deneweth, attorney for Dwyer and partner at Deneweth Dugan & Parfitt P.C. in Troy.

“We weren’t made whole. We weren’t even paid,” he said.

The company was accused of failing to pay Dwyer for $890,395 worth of materials before it closed. Norman Yatooma, attorney for GranQuartz and president of Birmingham-based Norman Yatooma & Associates P.C., said his client also bought some equipment back at auction for “a nickel on the dollar” and then obtained a judgment for $202,413 against Rock Tops to dismiss the case. It then lined up a new buyer on the equipment.

One lawsuit remains pending in Macomb County, on behalf of National City Bank. The bank also conducted the sale of Rock Tops’ assets.

Thomas Lindahl, attorney for Rock Tops and member at McDonald Hopkins L.L.C. in Bloomfield Hills, declined to comment. Megan McKnight, attorney for National City and an associate at Seyburn Kahn Ginn Bess & Serlin P.C., did not respond to two phone calls and an e-mail seeking comment last week.

Chad Halcom: (313) 446-6796, chalcom@crain.com