Kanye West Sues Over $1.8M Lien on Former Malibu Mansion
Kanye West has filed a new lawsuit accusing a former employee and his attorneys of improperly using the rapper’s former home in Malibu, California, as leverage in an ongoing legal dispute.According to court documents filed Thursday (Jan. 8) in Los Angeles Superior Court, Ye and his real estate entity, Shore Drive Holdings, LLC, are suing Anthony Saxon Netelkos (also known as Tony Saxon), along with Saxon’s lawyers and the law firm West Coast Trial Lawyers. The lawsuit accuses Saxon and his legal team of “wrongfully” recording and maintaining an invalid $1.8 million mechanic’s lien on the property.In the complaint, Ye claims the lien wasn’t simply a legal tool to resolve unpaid work allegations but part of a broader strategy to pressure him publicly. The filing alleges Saxon and his attorneys pushed what it describes as an “aggressive publicity campaign” designed to chill potential transactions and extract payment on claims that Ye says were already being litigated in a separate case.Saxon previously sued Ye in September 2023, alleging various labor violations and nonpayment for services related to the Malibu property. Ye has denied those allegations.Ye’s new lawsuit states that after he listed the Malibu home for sale in December 2023, Saxon and his legal team recorded a mechanic’s lien on Jan. 10, 2024, claiming $1,819,986 for construction and demolition-related work. A mechanic’s lien is typically filed by contractors or laborers who allege they were not paid for work, and it can complicate or prevent the sale of a property if unresolved.The complaint also cites comments attributed to Saxon’s attorney, Ronald Zambrano, implying any prospective buyer would have to deal with Saxon’s side before a sale could proceed. Ye argues those remarks were intended to create public pressure and falsely suggested Saxon had enforceable rights to block transactions and redirect proceeds.Ye further claims Saxon repeated similar messaging online the same day, allegedly stating that sale proceeds from the property would have to be used to pay him.In the lawsuit, Ye says Saxon and his legal team failed to take the necessary legal steps to enforce the lien within the required timeframe, meaning it expired by law. The complaint notes Ye secured a lien release bond to clear the title and proceed with a transaction.Ye also points out that the court previously ruled in his favor: The filing states a judge granted Ye’s petition to release the lien from the bond on July 1, 2025, and later awarded him attorney’s fees on Oct. 2, 2025.Ye is now suing for claims including slander of title, interference with economic advantage, abuse of process, and unfair competition. He is demanding a jury trial.
