It's been a crazy run, Curbediverse, but the Park City Mountain Resort-Talisker Land Holdings LLC lease battle has finally come to an end. Judge Ryan Harris of the 3rd District Court signed an order dismissing the case earlier this week, marking an end to the most dramatic, controversial, and stressful lawsuit in Park City's history. Of course, the dismissal was merely a formality at this point after Vail Resorts agreed to pay $182.5 million to buy PCMR's base facilities and lower ski terrain from Powdr Corp. Now that the dust has cleared, let's take a look back at the seven most insane moments from this drawn-out legal drama.
Presenting the most dramatic moments:
7. When Powdr CEO John Cumming complained that because of "lawsuit-itis," no one in Park City wanted to talk to him, making him the city's richest pariah. Yes, this really happened. And note to all future CEO's involved in a controversial lawsuit: complaining really doesn't help win public opinion.
6. When PCMR and Talisker disagreed on the bond amount by $100 million. If nothing else, this astronomical amount symbolized just how little people agreed.
5. When the judge signed an order clearing the way for PCMR to be evicted, but granted a reprieve and sent both sides to mediation.
4. When the CEO of Powdr Corp, John Cumming, and the CEO of Vail Resorts, Rob Katz, started a public pen pal feud. This war of words was just plain irritating.
3. When the judge ruled in favor of Talisker, saying that PCMR had missed the 2011 lease renewal deadline. This was the moment in the lawsuit where things really started going south for PCMR, and most observers knew that it was only a matter of time before Vail owned the mountain.
2. When PCMR threatened to dismantle all of the lifts if evicted off of the property. PCMR made it clear to everyone involved that an eviction would spell disaster for Park City.
And the most insane moment of the whole lawsuit was:
1. When PCMR said they would post the bail to stay on the disputed land for the 2014-2015 ski season, but Vail ended up buying the resort instead. On Tuesday, September 9, PCMR told the media that they would post the $17.5 million bond. The bond would have kept the ski area open this winter, but it wouldn't have solved the major issues at hand. Was this the last negotiating tactic of PCMR in order to get the highest possible payment from Vail Resorts? It certainly looks that way, because on Thursday, September 11, Vail announced that they had struck a deal and purchased PCMR for $182.5 million.
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· PCMR v. Talisker officially ends with judge's signature [Park Record]
· What Vail's Purchase of Park City Means for Skiers This Year [Curbed Ski]
· Breaking: Vail Resorts Buys Park City Mountain Resort [Curbed Ski]
· All PCMR-Talisker Lawsuit Coverage [Curbed Ski]
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