Broward’s garbage wars are wrapping up in court after years of accusations

A Broward judge will now decide whether a spat over garbage contracts that trickled down to residents should lead to a payout of $81 million.

The fight between one of Broward’s wealthiest businessmen and corporate giant Waste Management reached its end in a courtroom Thursday after 17 days of testimony. At its core is a debate of whether businessman Ron Bergeron was swindled out of his business that was sold without his consent, or he knew all along what was happening and changed his mind later.

Regardless, in the end, Broward’s cities were left with fewer options on how to deal with their garbage.

Bergeron is suing Waste Management for $81 million, alleging that he was “betrayed” by his former business partners who went behind his back. He argued that without his consent, they sold their company back to Waste Management, returning a decadeslong monopoly to the region that left higher prices for consumers.

His attorney said in court Thursday that both “Bergeron and the community were harmed.”

But lawyers for Waste Management and his former partners pointed to emails and meeting summaries that they said proved Bergeron knew the sale was happening, and he had consented to it.

Waste Management lawyer Frederick Fein said Bergeron’s lawyers provided “mere rhetoric” and “cherry-picked” documents and made an “unfair, unreasonable and untrue” interpretation of emails.

They accused Bergeron of “extortion” and said there was “zero evidence” of misconduct or malice.

The lawsuit alleges that in 2011, Bergeron and Sun Recycling entered into an agreement to create Sun-Bergeron Solid Waste Services to offer waste disposal and recycling services to cities throughout Broward. It was formed to compete against Waste Management, the largest waste service provider in the nation and “break” its “control.”

Bergeron wrote in his lawsuit that Waste Management’s monopoly led to “excessive pricing to consumers.”

The new business, Sun-Bergeron, scored contracts with 19 cities in Broward. But Bergeron’s partners in January 2016 sold off those contracts to Waste Management, the basis of the lawsuit.

Judge Jack Tuter could make a decision within a week.