They are fighting for every last grain.
Two billionaires are locked in a legal battle after one accused the other of stealing huge amounts of sand from a public beach in California.
According to the lawsuit, Milwaukee Brewers owner Mark Attanasio decks out his Malibu mansion with sand he digs up and transports from Broadbeach, a public beach near the homes of the rich and famous.
“This case concerns a private property owner who has used a public beach as his personal sandbox, resulting in a disturbing diversion of a public natural resource (i.e., the sand at Broadbeach) for the personal, private use of nearby homeowners,” the complaint states. Obtained by the Los Angeles Times.
The lawsuit was filed by Attanasio’s neighbor, James Kohlberg, whose father founded the global investment firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts.
The turmoil began in March when Attanasio received permission to repair a damaged seawall on his roughly $30 million estate, according to documents.
The permit specifically prohibits the use of heavy machinery on the tidelands and the removal of sand from the shore, but Kohlberg claims his neighbors blatantly ignore these.
The huge lawsuit is filled with photos of excavators roaming the marshy shoreline, dredging mountains of sand and leaving gaping holes along the narrow stretch of beach.
Attanasio’s construction workers also allegedly left gasoline residue in their wake, Kohlberg said.
The lawsuit accuses Attanasio of public nuisance, private nuisance and violations of California Coastal Law, and has prompted an investigation by the California Coastal Commission, but no stop work orders have been issued against Attanasio’s crew.
The Brewers owner maintains that he and his company, 2XMD Partners LLC, acted in 100% compliance with all permits.
“2XMD is in the midst of fully permitted emergency repairs to protect the building from the forces of the ocean. We have obtained all permits necessary for the repairs from the City of Malibu and Los Angeles County and have thoroughly vetted all contractors and subcontractors involved in the project,” his lawyer, Kenneth Ehrlich, told the Los Angeles Times.
Kohlberg is seeking a fine against Attanasio and a court order requiring him to replenish the sand already extracted.
