Fort Worth Councilman Sues Partner Over Country Club Deal

A high-profile real estate redevelopment in Fort Worth sparked a lawsuit between business partners, one of whom is a Fort Worth City Council member.

Councilman Michael Crain sued Will Northern, his longtime colleague and co-founder of Northern Crain Realty, alleging Northern excluded him from a lucrative land deal involving the former Woodhaven Country Club, the Dallas Business Journal reported.

The suit, filed Friday in Tarrant County, also names a substitute trustee tied to the acquisition and seeks more than $1 million in damages, along with temporary and permanent injunctions to halt further action on the land.

Northern purchased the 163-acre East Fort Worth property in May 2024 under the entity Crescendo Development, which acquired it via foreclosure. The site, at 913 Country Club Lane, was rezoned by the city council in February to allow for mixed-use development, including potential housing, office space, a community center, an urban farm and, possibly, a new golf course. Crain abstained from the vote.

According to Crain’s attorney, Northern structured the deal to conceal the opportunity from both Crain and Northern Crain Realty.

Crain described the fallout as a “personal betrayal” after more than a decade of partnership and said his aim is to “restore what was unjustly taken.”

Northern’s legal team strongly denied the accusations. Attorney Randall Schmidt of Cotten Schmidt called the lawsuit a “calculated attempt to weaponize the legal system for personal gain.” Schmidt claimed the development entity isn’t a competitor to Northern Crain Realty, but rather a separate investment vehicle that’s actually generated business for the firm.

The Woodhaven Country Club, built in the 1970s, was once a go-to venue for banquets and nonprofit events. It shuttered in recent years amid changing neighborhood dynamics.

Crescendo’s full development plans have not yet been filed with the city, and the project’s timeline could be in flux as the legal battle unfolds.

— Judah Duke