Kanye West’s Malibu Home Faces Legal Challenge From Contractor: “They’ll Have to Deal With Us First”

A legal dispute has arisen over Kanye West's Malibu property as lawyers representing Tony Saxon, a former caretaker and project manager for the rapper, filed a mechanics lien on the beachfront home. The legal move comes in response to reports of West listing the Malibu property for sale. Ron Zambrano, representing Saxon, filed the mechanics lien, seeking over a million dollars for Saxon's work and citing poor working conditions.

Saxon, who was hired by West in 2021 to oversee the completion of the Malibu property's construction, previously filed a lawsuit in September, claiming substandard and unsafe working conditions. Previously, The Wall Street Journal reported that the rapper's property lacks fundamental facilities like plumbing, doors, and windows. Zambrano, speaking on behalf of Saxon, emphasized their goal to ensure that Saxon is compensated before any sale proceeds.

Zambrano explained, "If anyone does work on someone's house in California and that person doesn't get paid, under the law, we can put a lien on the property, and if there's still no effort to pay the bill, a judge could force the person to sell the house to pay off the laborer." The Malibu property, initially purchased by West for $57.3 million in 2021, has been listed at a reduced price of $53 million. Realtor Jason Oppenheim from the Oppenheim Group emphasized the substantial interior renovations required for the Malibu property, estimating that a prospective buyer would need to spend several million dollars to update the home to contemporary standards.

Zambrano stressed the lien's role in safeguarding Saxon's financial claims, asserting, "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." Despite owning a million-dollar property, West is facing challenges as his residences lack 'livable' space. The 46-year-old musician and fashion designer's homes are reportedly in poor condition, unkempt, and littered with trash. Notably, West has invested in multiple properties for his business empire, but several have been left incomplete and unattended. Among them is a beachside home lacking doors and windows, which he recently put on the market.

Amid his tumultuous real estate ventures, West has faced criticism for anti-Semitic remarks, leading to his being 'canceled.' Currently, he is making a comeback with his new album, Vultures. Despite owning a beachside property worth millions, West's living situation is complicated, and he has been residing in rented apartments and hotels following his return from a world tour with Bianca Censori. One significant investment was a $57 million Malibu house purchased in 2021, designed by renowned Japanese architect Tadao Ando. Saxon sued West for labor code violations, unpaid wages, and wrongful retaliatory termination. In light of the ongoing legal battle, West decided to leave the home in its unfinished state and enlisted the services of well-known real estate agent Oppenheim to sell it, seeking approximately a million less than the original purchase price.