The land deals that brought Micron Technology Inc. to Utah County are now the focus of a legal battle between the computer-chip company and a Draper real estate broker.

In a suit filed in September in 4th District Court, Draper real estate broker George Klinell says Micron owes him more than $400,000 in commissions. Micron filed a countersuit last month saying Klinell provided false and misleading information that almost prevented the company from obtaining land for a new manufacturing facility on the south side of Traverse Mountain.Documents in another suit filed by Micron in June reveal that the seller of a large section of the land on which Micron is now building tried to back out of the deal a few weeks before the Idaho-based company broke ground.

Klinell's suit says Micron asked him in February to locate land in Utah County for the company to purchase. He says Micron eventually purchased three large parcels that he found, but he was not paid any commissions. He says Micron promised to pay any commissions not paid by the seller.

He also charges that Micron engaged the services of state officials to interfere with the real estate negotiations, thus depriving him of his role as a broker and accompanying commissions.

In its countersuit, Micron denies asking Klinell to locate property for the company. It says the three transactions referred to by Klinell were uncompleted and that Micron was not a party to the transactions. The suit says Klinell worked on his own in an effort to gain commissions from prospective sellers.

"Micron had no contract or other obligation to pay a commission to Klinell," the counter suit says.

Micron says that Klinell received commissions from some sellers of property to Micron. However, Micron says Klinell misrepresented facts and provided assurances that were later found to be untrue. The suit says that Klinell was a substantial impediment to reaching a settlement with the landowners, delaying the project, which incurred additional expenses for the company.

"It was only through the significant remedial efforts of Micron and others that transactions were eventually consummated," the suit says.

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Micron wants Klinell to pay the costs related to the delay and the costs of the company's remedial efforts. The company is also seeking attorneys' fees and other legal expenses.

In June, Micron filed a lawsuit against Brent Butcher and Performance Construction Co. to enforce the closing on more than 300 acres of land called Bateman Farms. Butcher agreed to sell the property to Micron in February but sent the company a letter on May 31 saying he wanted to cancel the deal.

According to court documents, Butcher and his cousin, David Mast, purchased the land in early February with plans to develop the property into a residential community. Butcher said Mast was out of town when the deal with Micron was negotiated and didn't approve the transaction.

However, the suit was settled out of court a week later, allowing Micron to close on the property. The company broke ground on its new plant the first week in July.

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