Kanye West, also known as Ye, has filed a new lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court against his former project manager Tony Saxon and the law firm West Coast Trial Lawyers over a disputed $1.8 million mechanics lien tied to his stripped-down Malibu beachfront mansion, a property that has already been sold and is reportedly facing foreclosure issues under its current owner.[1][2] According to the complaint, West alleges the lien was “wrongfully” placed on the property and used as leverage through a media campaign intended to pressure him into paying disputed claims.[1][2]
According to the Los Angeles Times, Saxon worked as West’s project manager, security guard, and caretaker on the Malibu Road home, and previously sued the rapper in September 2023 for alleged labor violations, nonpayment of services, and disability discrimination.[1][2] Saxon reportedly filed the $1.8 million mechanics lien in January 2024 to secure payment for project management and construction-related work after West had listed the home for sale in December 2023.[1][2] A mechanics lien can give an unpaid contractor or laborer the right to force a foreclosure sale if they remain unpaid, effectively clouding the property’s title and complicating any sale or financing.[1][3]
In the new filing, West claims Saxon and his attorneys immediately went public after recording the lien, with Saxon’s lawyer Ronald Zambrano telling Business Insider that any buyer would “have to deal with us first” and that a sale “cannot happen without Tony getting paid first,” statements West’s team argues were meant to chill potential deals.[1][2][3] West further contends that the Los Angeles Superior Court has already granted his motion to release the lien from the bond and awarded him attorneys’ fees, yet Saxon’s side allegedly continues to pursue its claims.[1][2][3] Saxon’s attorneys have not publicly commented on the latest suit, according to the Los Angeles Times.[1]
The Malibu mansion itself has become a high-profile money pit. West bought the Tadao Ando–designed concrete residence in 2021 for about $57.3 million, then completely gutted it—removing windows, doors, plumbing, and electricity—as he reportedly envisioned the home as his personal “bomb shelter” and “Batcave.”[1][2] He later sold the unfinished shell in 2024 to developer Steven Belmont’s Belwood Investments for roughly $21 million, absorbing an estimated $36 million loss.[1][2][3] The current owner has since poured additional funds into renovations and reportedly faced foreclosure threats and financial strain tied to the property, adding another layer of drama to the home’s troubled history.[1][2]
This latest lawsuit marks another chapter in the ongoing legal and financial saga orbiting Kanye West’s former Malibu mansion, underscoring how a once-prized architectural trophy has turned into a legal battleground involving labor disputes, multimillion-dollar losses, and lingering foreclosure risks for its current owner.[1][2]
