Eric Hermann and his wife, Susan Fredston-Hermann, are arguing in Third District Court that they would be harmed by Prince’s plans to build a new 1,000-square-foot home on King Road.
Permits for the home were approved by Park City officials in a tie vote earlier this year. The Hermanns appealed that decision, but the city’s three-member appeals board denied their request.
Eric Hermann told KPCW that they believe building the house on Treasure Hill poses serious risks. It will require excavating more than 11,000 cubic yards of earth on a property that has slopes of over 40% in some areas.
“We are deeply disappointed in Park City’s actions regarding this project,” Hermann said. “We do not expect a fair review of the project until it goes beyond the city’s jurisdiction, and that is why we are bringing it before the Third District Court.”
The lawsuit, filed Aug. 1, does not target Prince but names Park City Municipal because it challenges city officials’ permits as part of city processes. Park City Municipal declined to comment on Hermann’s complaint Thursday.
Bruce Baird, an attorney representing Matthew and Tatiana Prince, believes the city will prevail in the lawsuit.
“It’s as expected,” Baird said. “We don’t think it has any value and we’re confident the decision will be upheld. It’s just surprising that they continue to waste everyone’s time and money.”
In 2023, Matthew Prince attempted unsuccessfully to introduce a special provision into a bill through the Utah State Legislature that would have allowed him to circumvent Park City’s building codes.
Prince, originally from Utah, is the co-founder and CEO of cybersecurity company Cloudflare and has a net worth of nearly $3 billion. He and his wife, Tatiana, bought long-running local newspaper The Park Record months after a lobbying attempt that drew criticism from Park City Mayor Nann Worel.
Shortly after the Hermanns first appealed the building permit for Prince’s home, the billionaire filed two lawsuits against his neighbors, which the couple claims are retaliatory.
One lawsuit is against a stone wall on the Hermanns’ property that runs slightly across Prince’s property. Baird, Prince’s attorney, says it’s a “simple property dispute.” The other case involves the Hermanns’ two Bernese Mountain Dogs, which Prince says have been harassing his family. The Hermanns say they never received a complaint about their dogs before the lawsuit.
A Park City City government spokesman said the city had not been served as of Thursday. The city will next have an opportunity to respond to Hermann’s complaint in court.
