A prominent tech billionaire has filed a second lawsuit against critics of his proposed mega-mansion in suburban Utah.
Matthew Prince, 49-year-old co-founder of the technology security company Cloudflare, filed the lawsuit against his future neighbors in Park City on Friday, alleging that a rock wall from his house crosses the property line into the vacant lot he bought last March.
The wall belongs to Eric and Susan Hermann, the 71- and 68-year-old owners of the $11.5 million mansion. The couple have become two of Prince’s fiercest adversaries in an ongoing ownership fight, and filed an appeal last month after Prince received approval.
They argue that their proposal violates zoning laws, a claim that eight other people in the neighborhood, including some friends, have supported. They also say he intentionally bought a second piece of land after the first lawsuit so he could file a second one.
Within days, Prince filed a lawsuit against the couple over the behavior of their Bernese mountain dogs, calling them “threatening.” The owners said they have never received such a complaint before and claim they are now being “harassed” with the second lawsuit.
Cloudfare founder Matthew Prince, seen here with his wife Tatiana, filed the lawsuit against his future neighbors in Park City on Friday, alleging that a rock wall from his future neighbors’ home crosses their property line into a vacant land he bought last March.
Neighbors Eric Hermann and Susan Fredston-Hermann argue that their proposal violates zoning laws, a claim that eight other people in the neighborhood have supported. They also say he intentionally bought a second piece of land after the first lawsuit so he could file a second one.
Attorney Bruce Baird, the attorney representing Prince, called the rock wall lawsuit a “simple property dispute.”
In an interview in March, Prince, who married former banker Tatiana Prince in 2017, admitted that the couple’s opposition was a factor in his decision to sue over his dogs.
Claiming that canines are often unleashed and uncontrolled, the Cloudflare kingpin, who is worth an estimated $3.4 billion, appeared to downplay the legal fight.
‘I think it’s quite reasonable that at some point you say enough is enough. Especially if they’re suing you, or at least appealing your ability to build a house,” he told The Daily Beast, referring to the two dogs, Sasha and Mocha.
“This is essentially two rich people fighting each other, which is nonsense, but here we are,” he added, now claiming that a wall is illegally encroaching on his property.
He and his wife also own the Park Record, the city’s leading news publication.
Two years ago, they founded Utah-based LLC Valley Creek Family Farm, shortly after moving to Park City during the pandemic after fleeing the Bay Area.
In February, the Park City Planning Commission gave preliminary approval to the couple’s plans to demolish two houses on the hill where the Hermanns live to make way for their new home, saying they would be subject to a series of conditions. and a design review.
Conditions include that the home be limited to less than 7,500 square feet, as well as restrictions on lighting to limit the impact on neighbors.
The wall belongs to Hermanns, ages 71 and 68, who also own the $11.5 million mansion. The couple has therefore become two of Prince’s fiercest adversaries in an ongoing property fight, filing an appeal last month after Prince received approval to begin construction.
Within days, Prince filed a lawsuit against the couple over the behavior of their Bernese mountain dogs, calling them “threatening.” The animals are seen here. The owners said they had never received such a complaint before the appeal and claim they are now being harassed by the billionaire couple.
The commission approved the proposed property by a close 4-3 vote,
The Hermanns, however, were not convinced and filed an appeal on March 1 seeking to reverse the approval of the plans for the Prince’s home.
The couple, who live next door, say the project is not in line with local development rules, and the planning commission failed to take into account the impacts the house will have by not properly enforcing the town’s development code. the city.
Apparently in response to this move, the billionaire princes proceeded to involve their own lawyers, suing the older couple over their “threatening” dogs.
Seek damages for trespassing, private nuisance, and violation of a trail easement. the complaint states The dogs, each weighing more than 100 pounds, have aggressively chased and harassed those nearby, and it alleges that the Hermanns often walk the unleashed dogs along the path that runs around the perimeter of Prince’s property.
This, the couple claims, constitutes a direct violation of the Park City code, with the The complaint also calls the Hermanns “elderly and frail,” alleging that they are not physically capable of controlling the dogs.
A friend of the Hermanns who is familiar with the animals said those claims are false and that the couple is far from fragile.
‘I have met the Hermann’s[sic] for most of my life and I can confidently say they are anything but ‘fragile,’ Park City resident Sam Owen wrote in response to an Instagram post sharing recent news from the city.
Prince claims the rock wall (circled) crosses the property line between the lot he purchased a few weeks ago and the lot next door. The Hermanns say he purposely bought the lot a few weeks ago out of spite.
‘In fact, they are two of the most active people, anyone who knows them would say the same.
“I’ve known Sasha and Mocha since they were puppies,” he continued, before focusing on the “threatening” claims.
“They are the friendliest and most welcoming dogs to everyone they meet,” she said. “Neither of them are aggressive in any way.”
Meanwhile, the Hermanns told KPCW they had never received a complaint about their dogs before, and Eric sent another statement to the station on Friday after being hit with the second suit.
In it, he laid out the recent sequence of events and revealed how cameras were installed along the trail after the first legal complaint was filed.
He also revealed that the property dispute involving the second lawsuit stems from a second land purchase right next door – a multimillion-dollar move he said was made
“Last month, we and eight co-appellants filed an appeal against the approval of Matthew Prince’s enormous ‘mansion’ in Old Town,” he recalled.
The Cloudflare kingpin, who is worth an estimated $3.4 billion, moved to Park City from the Bay Area after the pandemic.
He married his wife in 2017, and with them since they bought the local Park Record publication. The neighborhood’s appeal will be reviewed by Park City’s three-member appeal panel on April 30, after which the matter will be resolved.
‘Within days, [Prince] He filed a civil complaint against our dogs and installed video cameras on the easement that crosses his property to the trail system.
‘Now, he just bought a multi-million dollar vacant lot next to us and today filed (no joke) a civil lawsuit over a rock wall that allegedly encroaches on his new property by several inches and maybe 6 feet.
“The wall has not been touched since we have owned the property and until today we had no idea of ​​a possible invasion of several centimeters,” he said.
“Does anyone see a connection between this and the calling?” he asked, adding that he and his wife “have lived in peace with [their] neighbors since we bought [their] house in 2006′.
He added: “The level of harassment we are experiencing now is staggering.”
When asked about the dueling lawsuits, he maintained that both were an act of retaliation, as he and eight other Old Town residents continue to appeal the construction plans.
The neighborhood’s appeal will be reviewed by Park City’s three-member appeals panel on April 30, after which the matter will be resolved one way or another.