Eric Hermann and his wife Susan Fredston-Hermann assert in Third District Court they would be adversely harmed by Prince’s plans to build a new 11,000-square-foot home on King Road.
The permits for the home were approved by Park City officials in a split vote earlier this year. The Hermanns challenged that decision but the city’s three-member appeal panel rejected their effort.
Eric Hermann told KPCW they believe the home’s construction on Treasure Hill poses serious risks. It will require excavating more than 11,000 cubic yards of earth on a property that, in some areas, has slopes exceeding a 40% grade.
“We are deeply disappointed by Park City’s process regarding this project,” Hermann said. “We do not expect a fair review of the project until it goes beyond the city’s purview, and therefore we are taking it to Third District Court.”
The lawsuit filed Aug. 1 does not target Prince but rather names Park City Municipal, as it is challenging the approvals made by city officials within city processes. Park City Municipal declined to comment on the Hermann’s complaint Thursday.
Bruce Baird, a lawyer representing Matthew and Tatiana Prince, expects the city will prevail in the lawsuit.
“It’s as expected,” Baird said. “We don’t believe it has any merit and we’re confident that the decision will be upheld. It’s just surprising that they continue to waste everyone’s time and money.”
In 2023 Matthew Prince tried, unsuccessfully, to use the Utah Legislature to slip special language into a bill that would have allowed him to subvert Park City building regulations.
Originally from Utah, Prince is the co-founder and CEO of the cybersecurity company Cloudflare, and has a net worth of nearly $3 billion. He and his wife Tatiana purchased the longtime local newspaper The Park Record months after the lobbying attempt, which drew criticism from Park City Mayor Nann Worel.
Shortly after the Hermanns filed their first appeal of Prince’s home approval, the billionaire filed two lawsuits against his neighbors, which the couple claims is retaliatory.
One lawsuit targets a rock wall on the Hermann's land that slightly crosses Prince’s property. Baird, Prince’s attorney, says it’s a “simple property dispute.” The other case targets the Hermann’s two Bernese Mountain dogs, which Prince claims have harassed his family. The Hermanns say they’ve never received a complaint about their dogs prior to the lawsuit.
A Park City Municipal spokesperson says the city has not been served as of Thursday. The city will next have the chance to respond to the Hermann’s complaint in court.
