The saga surrounding Kanye “Ye” West’s oceanfront Malibu home has taken another turn.
Ron Zambrano, a partner at West Coast Employment Lawyers, filed a mechanics lien on the property Monday on behalf of his client, contractor Tony Saxon, who claims he’s owed more than $1 million for his work amid other allegations. A mechanics lien, also known as a contractor’s lien, is described by the state of California “as a ‘hold’ against your property, filed by an unpaid contractor, subcontractor, laborer, or material supplier. … If unpaid, it allows a foreclosure action, forcing the sale of the property in lieu of compensation.”
The Hollywood Reporter obtained a copy of the filing on Wednesday. “We just want to make sure he has enough money to pay the more than $1 million he still owes our client before he goes completely broke,” Zambrano said in a statement. “So in this case, if someone wants to buy Kanye’s Malibu home, they’ll have to deal with us first. That sale cannot happen without Tony being paid.”
News broke in December that Ye had listed the four-bedroom beachfront house on Malibu Road for $53 million, a price tag that represents a loss since he bought the home in late 2021 for $57.3 million in an off-market deal. Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning Tadao Ando, the house features a concrete exterior, and while West has owned the property, the music star and designer gutted the interiors.
West is currently being sued by Saxon for his work helping with the gut renovation, saying he’s owed more than $1 million for his work and alleging disability discrimination, multiple labor code violations, unpaid wages and wrongful termination. According to the Wall Street Journal, which first reported that the house is being put on the market, West has denied the claims made in the suit.
The about 4,000-square-foot house is made from approximately 1,200 tons of concrete with 200 tons of steel reinforcement and 12 large pylons that are set 60 feet into the sand. It features 1,500 square feet of exterior decks and boasts ocean views from every room.
“What’s missing are the interiors,” realtor and reality TV star Jason Oppenheim of the Oppenheim Group told The Hollywood Reporter last month. He’s listing the house exclusively, estimating that the new owner would need to spend several million dollars to redo the inside of the home. “It’s priced to reflect the need for the interior finishes to be replaced. On the positive, it can be brought up to 2024 standards — it was built about 10 years ago.”
Oppenheim could not be reached for comment on Wednesday. News of the lien was first reported by Business Insider.
