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Fort Worth City Councilman Michael D. Crain has filed a lawsuit against his longtime friend and business partner Will Northern, accusing him of secretly cutting Crain out of a multi-million-dollar real estate deal involving the former Woodhaven Country Club in east Fort Worth.
Michael D. Crain
Filed June 20 in Judge Don Cosby’s 67th District Court, the suit details a bitter falling-out between Crain and Northern, co-founders of the real estate firm Northern Crain Realty. Crain, who also serves on the City Council representing District 3, is suing individually and on behalf of Northern Crain Realty, Northern Crain Property Management, and Northern Crain LLC — companies in which he and Northern each own a 50% stake.
Will Northern
The suit names as defendants Northern, Fort Worth attorney Tyler Goldthwaite, and several business entities the two allegedly formed as part of what Crain claims was a “premeditated and complex plan” to take control of the Woodhaven property without Crain’s knowledge.
Crain alleges Northern used insider information, company resources, and even office staff to acquire the property at a foreclosure auction in May — all while concealing the deal from him.
Crescendo Development, set up by Northern, acquired more than 160 acres in Woodhaven, including the golf course, on Fort Worth’s east side in a foreclosure auction for $8.5 million in May 2024.
Crain is seeking $1 million, excluding interest, punitive damages and penalties, and attorney’s fees.
“Will Northern and I have been friends and business partners for over a decade, working together to build Northern Crain Realty and to serve our clients with integrity and vision,” Crain said in a statement. “Our partnership was founded on mutual trust, transparency, and a shared commitment to the neighborhoods we serve.”
in a statement obtained by the Fort Worth Report, Northern’s attorney called the lawsuit “meritless.”
“Crain’s petition contains a number of false allegations,” said Randall Schmidt, founding partner of Cotten Schmidt in Fort Worth. “Will Northern and his affiliated companies … categorically deny all allegations of wrongdoing. These companies were formed and operated independently and transparently, with no violation of the governing agreements of the Northern Crain entities.”
Crain’s filing portrays a tale of betrayal. Once close friends and civic allies, Crain says he and Northern built Northern Crain Realty from the ground up after splitting off from a previous partnership in 2020. Together, they grew the firm’s residential, commercial, and property management business, operating from offices on Hemphill Street.
But in early 2023, Crain alleges, Northern began laying the groundwork for a secretive takeover of the Woodhaven Country Club property, a 156-acre parcel that sits along Randol Mill Road in east Fort Worth. According to the suit, Northern and Goldthwaite created new entities — including Crescendo Development, Crescendo Concerto No. 1 Management Co., and Woodhaven Concerto No. 1 LP — to acquire and develop the site.
Among the allegations:
- Northern and Goldthwaite used Crain’s company’s confidential client information to negotiate with Woodhaven’s former owners and their lender.
- Northern failed to notify Crain, as required by their company agreements, of his intent to pursue the deal independently.
- The defendants concealed the use of Northern Crain Realty’s agents and legal counsel in the transactions, including publishing listings using Crain’s name and firm branding.
- When confronted, Northern allegedly offered Crain nominal buyout checks — including one for $1,000 for his interest in one company — which Crain rejected.
Crain is seeking damages for breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, unjust enrichment, and other claims. The lawsuit asks the court to hold Northern and Goldthwaite jointly liable for financial harm and reputational damage.
On Jan. 7, the Fort Worth City Council approved a Zoning Commission recommendation to rezone 150 acres in Woodhaven for a mixed-use development featuring housing, retail, and green space on the site of the former Woodhaven golf course. Crain abstained from the vote due to his business partnership with Northern.
Crain and Northern formed Northern Crain Realty in 2019 with another partner, Ty Williams. Northern, too, has served in city government as a member of the Zoning Commission from 2013-21.
In the lawsuit, Crain said he confronted Northern about the Woodhaven properties, but the issue remained unresolved. Then, in June 2024, Northern informed Crain of his intention to shut down Northern Crain Realty and handed him a single-page document outlining the terms of their separation.
“Unfortunately, that trust was breached when Mr. Northern, along with others, acted without my knowledge or consent to exclude both myself and our company from a significant business transaction involving the Woodhaven Country Club property,” Crain said in a statement. “This was not just a business dispute — it was a personal betrayal that undermined years of collaboration and the values upon which our partnership was built.”