Kanye West, also known as Ye, is embroiled in fresh legal drama as former project manager Tony Saxon is suing over a disputed $1.8 million mechanics lien tied to West’s now-infamous gutted Malibu beachfront mansion, a property that has also become entangled in reported foreclosure trouble under its current owner. According to the Los Angeles Times and AllHipHop, the lien was recorded in January 2024 after West had listed the home for sale, sparking an ongoing battle over unpaid construction-related work and the future of the oceanfront property.[1][2]
According to court filings cited by the Los Angeles Times, Saxon previously worked as West’s project manager, security guard, and caretaker at the Malibu property and first sued the rapper in September 2023, alleging labor violations, nonpayment for services, and disability discrimination.[1][2][6] Saxon then filed a $1.8 million mechanics lien on the mansion early in 2024 to secure compensation for his project management and construction services, a move that allegedly gave him the right to push the property into foreclosure if he remained unpaid.[1][2] Saxon’s attorney, Ronald Zambrano, reportedly told Business Insider that any potential buyer would have to “deal with” Saxon’s side before a sale could go through, effectively warning that the lien stood between West and any successful transaction.[1][2][4]
West has pushed back aggressively, filing his own lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court against Saxon and law firm West Coast Trial Lawyers, arguing the lien is “invalid” and was weaponized as part of what he calls an “aggressive publicity campaign” to pressure him into paying disputed claims already being litigated.[1][2][4] In that complaint, West alleges the public statements around the lien were designed to scare off potential buyers and lenders by falsely suggesting Saxon had a legally adjudicated right to block any sale or redirect proceeds.[1][2][4] The Los Angeles Times reports that the court later granted West’s motion to release the lien from the bond and awarded him attorneys’ fees, though Saxon is reportedly continuing to pursue his underlying claims.[1][2][5]
The Malibu mansion itself has become a symbol of financial and legal chaos in Ye’s post-billionaire era. West bought the Tadao Ando–designed concrete residence for about $57.3 million in 2021, then gutted it—removing windows, doors, electricity, and plumbing—before selling the unfinished shell three years later for just $21 million, a massive reported loss.[1][2][4] The property’s current owner, developer Steven Belmont’s Belwood Investments, has since faced foreclosure threats and other financial strain tied to the high-profile home, underscoring how the project has turned into a money pit for multiple parties.[1][2] As the lawsuits over the lien and working conditions move forward, West’s Malibu experiment continues to play out in court, adding another chapter to the long list of legal and business controversies surrounding the Chicago artist.
