Teter asked if Sutherland backdated the notes, to which Sutherland responded that he wasn’t fully aware of what Teter meant by backdating, acknowledging that the dates might be incorrect. Sutherland suggested he might not have noticed a date on the document when he signed it and was unsure if he signed a document with a blank date.
Carhartt Heiress’s Trust attorney lawsuit
Sutherland testified that he offered to repay the loans with annual payments of $2 million to $4 million until satisfied, an offer he said was rejected. He claimed to have paid $500,000 in December 2020.
Sullivan told jurors last week that Valade was supportive of Sutherland’s business ventures. On Wednesday, Sullivan asked Sutherland about Valade’s involvement. Sutherland said Valade “always wanted to know” about his activities and “expressed interest” in his investments in downtown Detroit properties, including a hotel and apartments.
When asked what Valade gained from these investments, Sutherland said she got the satisfaction of seeing the projects succeed and could “write off” the buildings, saving millions in taxes. Sutherland asserted that Valade was well-informed and visited the sites multiple times.
