McDonald's Corp. Allowed to Seize Three Marin Restaurants

Ronald wins.

Illinois-based fast-food giant McDonald's Corp. will take over three Marin County locations from a local couple who fell behind on their franchise fee payments, according to the Marin Independent Journal.

Syed Ali Husain and his wife, Khursheed, began buying up McDonald's locations in the 1980s. They bought seven restaurants in Marin in 2005, for $10.5 million, the newspaper reported.

Trouble began when a San Francisco restaurant lost money due to embezzlement. McDonald's Corp. moved to seize three of the restaurants when the Husains fell $740,000 behind on their payments, the newspaper reported.

McDonald's locations at 7340 Redwood Blvd. in Novato, 190 Merrydale Road in Terra Linda and 2114 Fourth St. in San Rafael will now be returned to the parent corporation, the newspaper reported.

The Husains attempted to sue McDonald's in 2009, alleging that the company promised 20-year leases, the newspaper reported. McDonald's counter sued and a judge this week ruled in McDonald's favor.

They don't clown around.