Pawnbroker Andrew Grayson, who sued officials of the Village of La Grange and former La Grange Business Association President Michael LaPidus in federal court, alleging that they conspired to prevent him from opening a jewelry and loan store in downtown La Grange and violated his civil rights, today confirmed that he accepted a settlement offer in the case.
Grayson said that in accepting the offer he agreed not to publicly discuss the terms of the settlement. But he did say the settlement involved both the Village and LaPidus.
News of the settlement was first reported Tuesday by La Grange Patch.
Andrianna Peterson, assistant village manager, told Patch that there are “action steps” to be taken before everything is finalized.
Grayson said he was unaware of what steps those might be.
“As far as I’m concerned, it’s done,” he said. But he declined to say whether or not he had received any payment yet as part of the settlement.
Grayson’s landlord, Fifth Avenue Property Management, filed a separate lawsuit, also in federal court, against both the village and LaPidus. Grayson said he did not know the status of that case.
While Grayson was blocked by village officials from opening his planned All Star Jewelry & Loan in a storefront just south of Village Hall, last January he opened Pebblewood Jewelry & Loan in Naperville.
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