Bill Gates-Owned Caribbean Luxury Resort Sued for $100M Over Allegedly Deteriorating Conditions

A Caribbean resort owned by Bill Gates has been hit with a $100 million lawsuit alleging deteriorating conditions at the “luxurious” island property. Despite paying $20 million in membership fees, homeowners at the Four Seasons Nevis claim the resort has fallen into disrepair.

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NEED TO KNOW

A Four Seasons resort owned by Bill Gates has been hit with a $100 million lawsuit alleging deteriorating conditions since the tech executive acquired the property in 2016

The lawsuit claims over $20 million in membership fees were paid for repairs that were never completed

Four Seasons allegedly estimated $65 million is needed to restore the resort to the brand’s luxury standards

A Caribbean resort owned by Bill Gates has been hit with a $100 million lawsuit alleging deteriorating conditions at the “luxurious” island property.

The homeowners association of Four Seasons Resorts Nevis filed a civil complaint against Nevis Peak Holdings on Aug. 11, in the Delaware Chancery Court. Nevis Peak — a company owned by Cascade Investment, which serves the family office of Gates, 70 — owns the resort and surrounding property, which is located in Penney’s Beach, Charlestown, on the island of Nevis in the West Indies, according to the complaint, obtained by PEOPLE. The resort is beloved for its privacy and has been visited in the past by famous guests including Meryl Streep, Oprah Winfrey and Justin Trudeau.

The homeowners association, which represents a total of 66 property owners with 89 two- to six-bedroom villas at the base of a volcanic mountain, claims Nevis Peak failed to maintain and repair resort facilities since it acquired the property in 2016. They allege the company allowed Four Seasons Nevis “to deteriorate below any acceptable standard.”

The complaint cites a June 2021 report allegedly prepared by an independent third-party which found amenities such as tennis, fitness and spa “do not measure up to a world class quality consistent with Four Seasons standard.” They additionally found many of the golf courses’ trees, fairways and roughs were in “below average condition,” estimating $6.5 million to $8.5 million was needed for repairs.

Four Seasons Resort Estates Homeowners Association Limited vs. Nevis Peak Holdings, LLC

Another concern is the golf pro shop and fitness center that burned down following an electrical malfunction in October 2022, per the complaint. The homeowners allege that four years later, the structures remain unbuilt and a stockade fence continues to surround the area.

Other signs allegedly showing a lack of investment include golf carts in disrepair, visible trash strewn about the resort, missing tiles in the swimming pool, poor landscaping and buildings with “rotted wood and peeling paint.”

Four Seasons Resort Estates Homeowners Association Limited vs. Nevis Peak Holdings, LLC

The homeowners allegedly pay a $100,000 “initiation fee” to enter the Four Seasons Resort Nevis alongside a $13,000 annual “Resort Club Membership” fee. They are also required to pay a 25% fee on all services provided and 15% on all capital improvement projects. The complaint claims the homeowners have collectively paid over $20 million in membership fees since 2013 for repairs that were never completed.

According to the complaint, Four Seasons estimated it would cost $65 million to bring the property up to brand standards. Despite the findings, the association claims Nevis Peak has not begun work to improve the resort. The association further claims the values of the villas have been diminished by more than $100 million in resale value.

The homeowners are asking a judge to order Nevis Peak to step up and finish the necessary repairs. Alternatively, they are seeking monetary damages in an amount to be determined at trial.

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In a statement shared with Forbes, a spokesperson for Cascade Investment said they intend to fight the allegations “which it believes are entirely without merit.” Nevis Peak is the sole defendant named in the complaint.

PEOPLE has reached out to representatives for Gates for comment.

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According to a June 2018 report from The Hollywood Reporter, shortly after buying the resort, Gates enlisted the help of luxury designer Todd-Avery Lenahan to reimagine the property. At the time, Lenahan estimated the multimillion-dollar renovation cost “equal to or greater than” the initial development of the property 25 years ago.

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