Kanye West, legally known as Ye, has launched a new legal battle tied to his infamous Malibu mansion, suing former project manager Tony Saxon and Saxon’s lawyers over a disputed $1.8 million mechanics lien placed on the beachfront property in Los Angeles Superior Court. According to the Los Angeles Times, Ye’s complaint alleges that Saxon and the law firm West Coast Trial Lawyers “wrongfully” filed an invalid lien on the Malibu home and then publicized it in an effort to pressure him into paying disputed claims connected to construction work on the heavily gutted residence.[1][2]
In court documents, Ye claims Saxon’s lien was recorded in January 2024, shortly after he listed the Malibu property for sale in December 2023.[1][2] The lien, for approximately $1.8 million, was filed to secure alleged unpaid compensation for Saxon’s work as project manager and for construction-related services on the project.[1][2][3] A mechanics lien gives an unpaid contractor or laborer the right to hold a property as security and, if unresolved, can reportedly lead to foreclosure proceedings.[1][3] Ye argues the filing was improper and designed to “chill prospective transactions” by signaling to potential buyers that they would have to resolve Saxon’s claims before any sale could close.[1][2][3]
The lawsuit also targets comments made to the media by Saxon’s attorney, Ronald Zambrano. According to AllHipHop, citing the Los Angeles Times, Zambrano told Business Insider that “if someone wants to buy Kanye’s Malibu home, they will have to deal with us first” and that a sale “cannot happen” without Saxon being paid.[2][3] Ye’s complaint characterizes those statements as part of an “aggressive publicity campaign” that allegedly interfered with his ability to sell or finance the property by falsely suggesting Saxon held an adjudicated right to block any deal.[1][2][3] The filing further notes that Los Angeles Superior Court previously granted Ye’s motion to release the lien from a bond and awarded him attorneys’ fees, though Saxon continues to pursue his separate claims.[1][2][3]
The Malibu mansion itself has become a symbol of costly turmoil for everyone involved. Ye bought the Tadao Ando–designed concrete home in 2021 for about $57.3 million, then stripped it down by removing windows, doors, electricity, plumbing, and interior walls, reportedly envisioning it as his personal “bomb shelter” or “Batcave.”[1][2][3] He later sold the unfinished structure in 2024 to developer Steven Belmont’s Belwood Investments for roughly $21 million, taking a massive loss as the property continued to be dogged by renovation issues, legal disputes, and reported foreclosure threats for the current owner.[1][2]
This latest lawsuit adds another chapter to the ongoing legal saga surrounding Kanye West’s former Malibu mansion, intertwining labor disputes, construction grievances, and high-stakes real estate drama. As Ye fights to clear his name and unwind the lien, and Saxon reportedly presses his own 2023 lawsuit over alleged labor violations and unpaid wages, the case underscores how a once-luxury beachfront asset has turned into a long-running legal and financial headache for the rapper and subsequent owners alike.[1][2][3][5]
