Close X
Wednesday, December 4, 2024
ADVT 
International

Indian-American Billionaire Vinod Khosla Loses Battle To Keep Beach Private

Darpan News Desk Darpan, 26 Sep, 2014 03:59 PM
    Vinod Khosla, Indian-American co-founder of Sun Microsystems, has lost a court battle against a coastal protection group to keep the public out from a popular beach in northern California with the victorious attorney saying that "great wealth cannot be used to circumvent and ignore the law".
     
    San Mateo County Superior Court Judge Barbara Mallach ruled Wednesday that Khosla, a billionaire venture capitalist, who was sued last year by the Surfrider Foundation, illegally blocked access to Martin's beach and must open it to the public.
     
    "Today's decision is a huge victory for all of the people of California," Joe Cotchett of Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, the firm representing Surfrider was quoted as saying by NBC Bay Area.
     
    "It affirms that great wealth cannot be used to circumvent and ignore the law. Everyone can again visit Martin's Beach."
     
    Khosla bought the property, located south of Half Moon Bay, for $37.5 million in 2008.
     
    At one point, the beach had a sign welcoming the public, but that sign has since been painted over and the public was warned to stay out, NBC reported.
     
    According to the lawsuit, the gate to the beach was closed and locked in 2010 to keep the public out.
     
    The lawsuit states that since then, at least 100 people were kicked off the property for "trespassing."
     
    When the county told Khosla he needed a coastal permit to close the gate, he never applied for one.
     
    His attorneys argued that no permit was required to simply close a gate that was already there, NBC said.
     
    But Surfrider sued Khosla, claiming that he ignored the law. The non-profit contended that Khosla be required to pay the maximum fine of $15,000 per day, which would amount to something in the range of $20 million.
     
    Khosla's attorney argued in court that the Coastal Commission was a run-away regulatory body that was violating Khosla's 5th Amendment property rights.
     
    Mallach ruled Wednesday that Khosla's failure to obtain a Coastal Development Permit before blocking access to the beach was illegal and that a permit was required to close the gate.
     
    Mallach ruled that Khosla should stop preventing the public from accessing and using the water, beach and coast at Martin's Beach until a resolution of his permit application has been reached by San Mateo County or the Coastal Commission.
     
    Mallach, however, ruled that Khosla's conduct "was in good faith" and that penalties and fines are not justified, according to NBC.

    MORE International ARTICLES

    Amidst crises galore, Modi, Obama to focus on defence, security

    Amidst crises galore, Modi, Obama to focus on defence, security
    Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s summit meeting with President Barack Obama will have a strong focus on defence and security issues taking place as it does in the midst of a number of international crises, US officials say.

    Amidst crises galore, Modi, Obama to focus on defence, security

    Pakistani PM Nawaz Sharif rakes up Kashmir issue at UN

    Pakistani PM Nawaz Sharif rakes up Kashmir issue at UN
    Pakistan expectedly raked up the Kashmir issue Friday in the UN General Assembly, with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif saying the "core issue" of Jammu and Kashmir has to be resolved and pushed for a plebiscite in the state. 

    Pakistani PM Nawaz Sharif rakes up Kashmir issue at UN

    New Mexico dinosaur species has relatives in Canada

    New Mexico dinosaur species has relatives in Canada
    Ziapelta sanjuanensis, a newly discovered armoured dinosaur from New Mexico in the US has close ties to the dinosaurs of Alberta in Canada....

    New Mexico dinosaur species has relatives in Canada

    Modi-Obama summit can take ties to next level: US experts

    Modi-Obama summit can take ties to next level: US experts
    Several US policy experts, including a former key Clinton administration official, see the upcoming US visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as an opportunity to...

    Modi-Obama summit can take ties to next level: US experts

    Arabic Twitterati cast US as an enemy: Study

    Arabic Twitterati cast US as an enemy: Study
    Researchers used Twitter as an instrument to measure public sentiment, in ways an opinion poll cannot, and revealed that millions of Arabic language tweets...

    Arabic Twitterati cast US as an enemy: Study

    US to create world's largest marine reserve

    US to create world's largest marine reserve
    The US will create the world's largest marine reserve, stretching over about 1,270,000 sq km of the Pacific ocean, the White House press service said....

    US to create world's largest marine reserve

    PrevNext