They are fighting for every last grain of sand.
Two billionaires are duking it out in court after one accused the other of stealing piles of sand from a public beach in California.
According to the lawsuit, Milwaukee Brewers owner Mark Attanasio found his Malibu mansion with sand he dredged and hauled from Broad Beach, a public beach near the homes of the rich and famous.
This case involved a private property owner using a public beach as his personal sandbox and the disturbing conversion of a public natural resource (eg, sand from Broad Beach) to the owners’ personal, private use. of nearby homes, the lawsuit says, obtained by the Los Angeles Times.
The lawsuit was filed by Attanasio’s neighbor James Kohlberg, whose father founded global investment firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.
The drama began in March when Attanasio received permission to fix the damaged seawall on his nearly $30 million property, the documents said.
The permits specifically prohibit the use of heavy machinery in the intertidal zone and the removal of sand from the beach — which Kohlberg claims his neighbor blatantly ignored.
The hard-hitting lawsuit is filled with pictures of excavators walking along the wet shoreline and digging up piles of sand, leaving gaping holes along the narrow beach.
According to Kohlberg, Attanasio’s construction crew allegedly left gasoline residue behind.
The lawsuit, which accuses Attanasio of public nuisance, private nuisance and violation of the California Coastal Act, has sparked an investigation by the California Coastal Commission, but no stop-work order has been issued for Attanasio’s crew.
The brewery’s owner claims he and his company, 2XMD Partners LLC, have acted in 100% compliance with all of its permits.
2XMD is in the midst of a fully permitted emergency repair of the property to protect it from the forces of the ocean. She has secured all necessary permits for the repairs from the city of Malibu and LA County, and has thoroughly vetted all contractors and subcontractors involved in the project, his attorney, Kenneth Ehrlich, told the LA Times.
Kohlberg is seeking a fine against Attanasio, as well as a court order for Attanasio to replace the sand he has already received.
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