City of Las Vegas and Former Golf Course Owner Sue Over Property Taxes

Categories: Breaking NewsGovernment NewsNews

Aerial view of the Badlands golf course site in Las Vegas, potential development area.

News Summary

Yohan Lowie, the former owner of the Badlands golf course, has teamed up with the City of Las Vegas to file a lawsuit against Clark County over disputed property taxes. This legal battle follows previous conflicts over property development permits and inadequate tax assessments. Lowie claims that, per a Nevada Supreme Court ruling, he should not owe taxes on the property since his dispossession in 2017. The escalating situation may require Clark County to reimburse both the city and Lowie for previous tax payments.

Las Vegas – In a significant legal development, Yohan Lowie, the former landowner of the now-defunct Badlands golf course, alongside the City of Las Vegas, has initiated a new lawsuit against Clark County concerning property taxes associated with the golf course property. This lawsuit underscores ongoing disputes over property taxes following the city council’s earlier denial of permits that thwarted Lowie’s attempts to develop residential housing on the site.

Lowie, who has a contentious history with the City of Las Vegas, has successfully sued the city on multiple occasions, culminating in a settlement agreement that ultimately cost taxpayers $636 million. To mitigate the financial fallout from this settlement, the city plans to sell the Badlands property to Lennar Homes for $350 million. This sale is aimed at helping offset part of the settlement’s costs.

The central issue of the current lawsuit revolves around improper property tax assessments by Clark County during ongoing court proceedings. Lowie and the city argue that according to a ruling by the Nevada Supreme Court, property owners who have been dispossessed of their land should not be liable for paying taxes on that property. Therefore, they contend that the city should receive a refund of property taxes accrued after August 2, 2017.

As per recent calculations, unpaid property taxes, fines, and penalties have accumulated to approximately $8,239,388.23 since that date, leading to the assertion that the entire 250 acres of the Badlands property should have been exempt from property taxes since August 2, 2017. The city has reportedly needed to settle outstanding property taxes to conclude the sale of the land back to itself.

Consequently, when Clark County allegedly refused a joint request from both the City of Las Vegas and Lowie to eliminate the property taxes, it created an urgent scenario where both the city and Lowie were forced to pay the assessed taxes to adhere to the purchase and sale agreement. Additionally, 180 Land Co., a related entity, has filed a motion to join the city in the ongoing litigation due to the tax dispute. A judge has since mandated that the city be included in the case.

The lawsuit suggests that Clark County may have to reimburse both the City of Las Vegas and 180 Land Co. for previously collected property taxes, adding another layer of complexity to the situation. Presently, no future hearing dates have been established regarding the progression of this case.

The City Council has recently approved a nonbinding agreement concerning the Badlands property, reflecting a step towards resolving the protracted legal disputes that have plagued the site for nearly a decade. The anticipated settlement agreement could impose an overall cost of $636 million on the city, which would facilitate the property sale to Lennar Homes for the planned development of approximately 1,750 new residential units.

This development marks a potential resolution to the long-standing struggles that have surrounded the Badlands Golf Course and represents a crucial turning point in Las Vegas’ efforts to revitalize the area. Such developments are likely to have significant implications for the city’s economy and housing landscape.