Lawsuit Filed Against Ohtani Regarding $240M Hawaii Exclusive Real Estate Project
In an unexpected turn of events, star baseball player Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers and his agent, Nez Balelo, find themselves embroiled in a lawsuit filed by real estate developer Kevin Hayes and real estate agent Tomoko Matsumoto.
The lawsuit, filed in Hawaii's circuit court, accuses Ohtani and Balelo of tortious interference with contractual and business relations, as well as unjust enrichment. The plaintiffs claim that the duo used threats and baseless legal claims to interfere with their business dealings.
The controversy revolves around a luxury high-rise development project in Hawaii, where Ohtani and Balelo's business partners included Terrace Capital Group and other local investors. Ohtani was the first resident of the luxury complex The Vista at Mauna Kea Resort, residing in a roughly 5,000-square-foot home with ocean views, situated on a 1.1-acre lot that overlooks the eighth hole of a golf course. The houses in the complex, a new gated community within the resort, average $17.3 million each.
According to the lawsuit, Balelo issued an ultimatum to Kingsbarn Realty Capital, a business partner of Hayes and Matsumoto, to remove the pair from the project or face retaliatory litigation. Kingsbarn is accused of excluding Hayes from key meetings and making important decisions about operations without his input, resulting in the plaintiffs being given no warning and no opportunity to respond to their alleged termination from the project.
The plaintiffs claim they spent over a decade planning and developing the luxury project, The Vista at Mauna Kea Resort, on Hawaii's big island. They allege that Ohtani was brought into the deal for his fame and "branding value," but Balelo is accused of exploiting this to interfere with Hayes' and Matsumoto's role in the project.
Ohtani, a five-time All-Star and three-time MVP, is tied with Kyle Schwarber for first in the National League in home runs (42), leads in OPS (1.013), and has 112 runs. His 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers, with $680 million deferred, has not been affected by the lawsuit.
In a statement, Kingsbarn Realty Capital called the allegations against Ohtani and Balelo "completely frivolous" and "without merit." Eben Novy-Williams contributed to this story.
The Baseball Antitrust Exemption, covering more than Major League Baseball, may come into play as the lawsuit progresses, although this is not directly related to the real estate dispute.
This story has been updated with a statement from Kingsbarn Realty Capital.
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