Malden, Massachusetts, has settled a multi-year lawsuit with Tufts Construction, agreeing to pay over $1.2 million in three installments over the next two years. The city will pay $347,860 upfront, followed by two additional payments of $450,000 due on July 1, 2026 and July 2, 2027. The original lawsuit by Tufts claimed that Malden owed approximately $250,000 in unpaid bills for excavation and lead service line work. It accused Malden’s Director of Engineering Yem Lip of intentionally providing negative references to multiple neighboring municipalities in an attempt to retaliate against Tufts for requesting payment. The settlement's language indicates that neither party accepts liability for the claims made by both sides in the original lawsuit and that the agreement was reached to prevent future litigation.