Clark County is staring at a multimillion-dollar tax refund after a District Court judge ruled the county illegally collected property taxes on the former Badlands golf course. District Court Judge Tierra Jones entered a roughly an $8.3 million judgment in favor of the landowner, and local officials say once attorney fees, costs, and penalties are factored in, the county’s total exposure will likely clear $13 million. It is the latest twist in a multi-year legal brawl over the 250-plus acre parcel near Alta Drive and Rampart Boulevard.
Jones found that taxes assessed on land effectively taken for public use are “illegal and absolutely void,” and concluded the county kept assessing and collecting taxes even after prior court rulings, a decision detailed by KTNV. The developer’s attorney, Jim Leavitt, told the station the county “entirely ignored” court orders. The county, for its part, told KTNV it was “disappointed” and was reviewing the order to decide what to do next.
The fresh ruling piles onto a Badlands settlement that has already left a deep mark on public finances. As the Review‑Journal reported, the city of Las Vegas agreed to a broader deal that left roughly $286 million on the city’s books as part of a $636 million resolution. Hoodline previously covered how the city ended the Badlands dispute as plans for 1,500 new homes moved ahead…