A billionaire tech titan has won a major victory in a long-running battle with his neighbors after a judge dismissed two lawsuits challenging his plans for a sprawling Utah mansion.
Matthew Prince, the co-founder and CEO of cybersecurity giant Cloudflare, who has an estimated net worth of $8.3 billion, has spent years fighting to build an enormous home overlooking Park City's historic Old Town.
The feud has descended into a bizarre battle over his neighbor's two Bernese mountain dogs: Prince accused the dogs of trespassing, defecating on his property and threatening his family.
The dogs, Sasha and Mocha, became unlikely local celebrities after their owners, Eric Hermann and Susan Fredston-Hermann, fought back against Prince's allegations.
Now, two of the lawsuits challenging Prince's mansion have been thrown out – although the neighbors' broader legal battle is far from over.
Third District Court Judge Richard Mrazik dismissed the cases on Wednesday, ruling that a consent agreement approved by Park City's City Council had superseded the land-use decisions the neighbors were challenging, KPCW reported.
The agreement, approved in January, cleared a path for Prince and his wife, Tatiana, to continue with their plans after years of legal wrangling.
But the Hermanns have filed a separate lawsuit challenging the agreement itself, arguing that the city could not use it to sidestep their independent legal claims.
Matthew Prince and his wife Tatiana bought the King Road property in 2020 and have sought to replace two existing homes with a sprawling new residence
Prince has spent years fighting to build his enormous home overlooking Park City's historic Old Town
The case is still pending, with attorneys for the couple, the Princes and the city scheduled to return to court on December 29.
The feud took an extraordinary turn in 2024 when Prince's company sued the Hermanns over their dogs.
The lawsuit alleged that Sasha and Mocha were allowed to roam unleashed, relieve themselves on Prince's property and aggressively approach his family and guests.
Prince also claimed the dogs had harassed his then-82-year-old mother and had barked, snarled and charged at his infant daughter while she was sitting in a stroller.
The Hermanns denied the allegations, describing Sasha and Mocha as well-behaved, polite and non-aggressive.
The dispute prompted a wave of local support for the dogs, with residents putting up 'Save Sasha and Mocha' stickers around the ritzy ski town.
Prince and his wife bought the King Road property in 2020 and have sought to replace two existing homes with a sprawling new residence overlooking Park City's historic Old Town.
The proposed home has been described as an 11,000sq ft mansion, with roughly 7,500sq ft of living space and a home office.
Eric Hermann and Susan Fredston-Hermann have been challenging Park City's City Council over Prince's proposed housing project
The feud has descended into a bizarre side battle over two Bernese Mountain dogs, with Prince accusing his neighbors' pets of trespassing, pooping on his property and threatening his family
The project has faced years of opposition from the Hermanns, whose property adjoins the Prince lot.
They have challenged the home's height, floor area, roof design, parking arrangements and whether its design complies with Park City's historic rules.
One dispute centered on historic-design approval, including conditions requiring changes to portions of the roof and windows facing east.
Prince has argued that the home complies with applicable regulations and has been subjected to extensive scrutiny.
During a January city council meeting, he said the project had received more scrutiny than any other single-family home and argued that the agreement would allow his family to move forward after years of litigation.
By January 2026, three related lawsuits were pending in Third District Court.
The City Council then voted 3-1 to approve a consent agreement with Pesky Porcupine LLC, the entity associated with the Prince project.
The agreement relied on a Utah law that took effect in November 2025, allowing municipalities to settle litigation over land-use decisions with property owners through consent agreements, an official told TownLift.
The wall belongs to the Hermanns, who also own this $11.5million mansion
Prince is the cofounder and CEO of cybersecurity giant Cloudflare
The Hermanns, however, argued that the agreement could not resolve their separate legal claims without their consent.
They also contended that the city could not use the deal to change how its land-use and historic regulations applied to the property without following the normal legislative process.
Judge Mrazik ruled Wednesday that the agreement had superseded the earlier land-use decisions being challenged.
The ruling does not resolve the separate case challenging the consent agreement itself.
The Hermanns have also questioned the city's decision to allow excavation and shoring work to proceed while litigation remains unresolved.
Excavation was underway at the property on September 16, according to local reporting.
The latest ruling clears two legal hurdles for Prince's project, but the remaining lawsuit means the fight over the mansion is far from over.
Prince is also co-owner of The Park Record, the local newspaper.