LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Another major blow to the City of Las Vegas in a drawn-out court battle that's already cost taxpayers millions of dollars.
We're talking about the defunct Badlands golf course, which is about 250 acres of land nestled in Queensridge, a neighborhood that's home to some of the largest multi-million dollar mansions in the valley.
In yet another set-back, a judge found Friday the city again had illegally prevented the current owner of the land, Yohan Lowie, from developing his property.
Lowie bought the defunct golf course intending to convert it into a community of homes, a project permitted by current zoning.
8th District Court Judge, Monica Trujillo, ruled the city's actions constituted a government taking of about 65 acres.
Last February the City was ordered to pay Lowie $11 million in court costs he incurred battling over the badlands.
That was on top of the $34 million Lowie was awarded in damages. In that ruling, the city was found to have prevented him from building on a 35 acre parcel.
Lowie's attorney, Elizabeth Ghanem had this to say to Channel 13's Darcy Spears last year; "It's been a long road, so we were really happy that justice prevailed over politics, We always knew we had the law on our side, so it was nice to see the court's decision."
Ghanem predicted then the costs for taxpayers will continue to pile up due to the city's actions in this case.
"The judgment we received from the court is just the beginning," Ghanem said. "There will be costs associated with that and interest starting from the date of value, so we expect that amount to be substantial on top of the judgment."
Those costs now tally about $50 million. The dollar amount in damages from the latest ruling is pending. It could take months to decide and factors such as interest and land values will be considered.
We reached out to the City of Las Vegas for their response. They told us they don't comment on pending litigation.
However, the city is appealing previous decisions on this matter to the Nevada Supreme Court.
