We seem to have concrete evidence that rich people have problems too: Matthew Prince, the billionaire CEO and co-founder of tech giant Cloudflare, is currently suing two of his millionaire neighbors because, according to court documents, the neighbors have overly enthusiastic Bernese Mountains dogs keep getting into things far into Prince’s huge estate. Somewhere, the world’s smallest violin conjures up a sad ballad for everyone involved.
prince legal actionThe lawsuit, filed last month through a shell company, Pesky Porcupine LLC, alleges that the dogs — Sasha and Mocha — repeatedly invaded his backyard and became aggressive toward some of Prince’s guests. Prince lives in Park City, Utah, a popular tourist destination, and has so much land that there is actually an easement through his property, allowing locals to pass through it on the way to and from a local ski resort.
Most locals seem to abide by the easement’s rules – apparently with the exception of the dogs. Prince claims that his neighbors Eric and Susan Hermann have two very loud dogs that simply won’t obey the law. “The large dogs do not reside within the grazing facility and frequently roam the backyard of the Plaintiff’s property residence,” the lawsuit states. “On several occasions, the large dogs aggressively approached, chased and harassed residents and guests of the plaintiff’s property.” In one Current interview Prince claimed to the Wall Street Journal that the dogs threatened his elderly mother and barked at his daughter, causing her to cry.
“I understand that we’re rich assholes,” Prince wisely told the newspaper, “but in a way I’m also a father and I have to protect my daughter.”
It appears that Sasha and Mocha occasionally poop on Prince’s property as well. The billionaire’s lawsuit cites an easement ordinance that states that an “animal causes a nuisance if it defecates on any public sidewalk, in a park or in any building, or on any private property without the consent of the owner of such private property.” ‘”. The Hermanns seem to be pleading ignorance. “If something like that ever happened, we would of course collect the dog poop,” Eric Hermann told the Wall Street Journal.
All in all, the Hermanns could win the propaganda war. Bloomberg reports that a flood of “Free Sasha & Mocha” stickers have been popping up all over Park City, giving the dogs the appearance of fluffy and cuddly political prisoners. Still, at least one other member of the community besides Prince called the dogs not particularly friendly. “They don’t want you near their people,” one elderly resident told the Journal. The Hermanns deny that their dogs are a nuisance. They also deny that they are the people behind the stickers.
In addition, the elderly couple have spoken regularly to the press, apparently in an effort to appear more likeable than their billionaire neighbor. In conversation with a local outletEric Hermann recently called the feud a “normal neighborhood dispute” and said he and his wife “had no idea there was a problem with one of our dogs… before Prince filed the complaints.” He added that resolving the issue “starts with a knock on the neighbor’s door and a conversation.”
But the story seems to be about more than just dog piss and local easement regulations. For years, Prince and his wife have been planning to build an 11,000 square foot “dream home” on their current property. The plans for this house have caused more than a little drama locally, and the Hermanns were apparently one of several residents who appealed to the city over a previously split vote to approve Prince’s new house plans. The Hermanns have described Prince’s lawsuit as retaliation against her.
Other local developments surrounding Prince’s proposed home have also raised eyebrows. After a local news outlet wrote about Prince’s plans to build the massive house early last year, Prince bought the publication and installed a new editor. This editor happens to be living rent-free at Prince, Bloomberg’s property right now reported.
Gizmodo reached out to a lawyer for Prince for comment but did not immediately receive a response.