LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The former landowner of the defunct Badlands golf course and the City of Las Vegas have filed a new lawsuit against Clark County over property taxes.
You may remember the city's battle with Lowie began due to his plan to develop homes on the property. City council members denied permits and prevented residential development, which the land is zoned for.
Lowie filed multiple lawsuits against the City of Las Vegas and won in every court at every level. That has led to city taxpayers paying out $636 million as part of a settlement with Lowie. The city is planning to pay $286 million of that and will sell the land to Lennar homes for $350 million, which will cover the rest.
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A new lawsuit claims that while all of those court proceedings were going on, Clark County continued to assess real property taxes. It's something that attorneys claim should have never happened, especially since the county was aware of the ongoing court proceedings.
"The Nevada Supreme Court has repeatedly held and affirmed that 'an owner who is dispossessed from their land when it is taken for public use is no longer obligated to pay taxes,'" the filing reads in part.
As of March 19, 2025,the lawsuit states the real property taxes, fines and penalties, paid to the County for the property since Aug. 2, 2017 totals approximately $8,239,388.23.
"Therefore, the entire 250 acres was exempt from real property taxes as of Aug. 2, 2017, and any duty to pay real property taxes thereafter is void ab initio, meaning, any real property taxes paid after Aug. 2, 2017, for the Property by Plaintiffs must be returned."
As part of a settlement, Lowie agreed to sell the land back to the city. However, in order for that sale to go through, the lawsuit states all outstanding property taxes had to be paid.
"In advance of the sale, the City and the Landowners jointly asked the County to remove the property taxes so that the sale could close," the filing reads in part. "The County refused."
The City of Las Vegas and Lowie were allegedly forced to pay the taxes assessed after the Supreme Court ruling "under protect to avoid breaching the purchase and sale agreement."
WATCH: Las Vegas cuts $20 million in projects to pay Badlands settlement
Now, the city and Lowie are asking for that tax money back.
"180 Land Co. filed a motion to join the city as an indispensable party to the litigation because of the property tax issue. The judge ordered the city into the case," city officials tell us. "The reason for the judge's order, simply put, is that Clark County may be required to reimburse previously collected property taxes from the property to 180 Land and the city."
I also reached out to Clark County to see if they would like to comment on the lawsuit. As of the time this article was published, I have not heard back.
According to court records, no future hearing dates have been set, as of Monday afternoon.
