Joel Coen and Frances McDormand bought their Bolinas house as a peaceful retreat. Now it’s become a legal battle zone.
Coen, an Oscar-winning filmmaker, and McDormand, an Oscar-winning actress, are suing their neighbors to resolve a festering dispute over a property line.
The couple claim the owners next door, retired dentist Randolph Rush and his wife Donna, an artist, are ignoring a historic boundary and intruding on their land.
The Rushes have had their Bolinas home for 45 years, said their lawyer, Edmond McGill. He said Coen and McDormand are themselves guilty of “deliberate encroachments.”
“Randy and Donna refrained from filing a lawsuit as Coen and McDormond have done because they wanted to continue to quietly enjoy their home without a big fight in court,” McGill said. “They are very disappointed that Coen and McDormand have filed a lawsuit.”
CLICK HERE if you are having a problem viewing the video on a mobile device
Coen and McDormand bought the Bolinas property in 2005, according to the suit. The couple thought the “easygoing Bolinas culture” and the surrounding open space made it “the ideal getaway,” wrote the couple’s lawyer, Michelle Catapang.
A greenbelt separates their property from the Rush property. Coen and McDormand say the greenbelt, historically, has been recognized as part of the property they purchased. Accordingly, the plaintiffs say, they have accepted responsibility for its landscaping and maintenance, to the benefit of both sides.
In 2007, the Rushes obtained a survey that placed the property line 10 feet north of the alleged historic boundary. This configuration put the greenbelt on the Rush property and cut into part of the Coen/McDormand driveway, the lawsuit said.
Moreover, it created a potential legal problem for Coen and McDormand because it placed their garage within the required property setback.
The survey caused no immediate legal dispute between the couples, and Coen and McDormand say they continued to assume responsibility for the greenbelt. Three years ago, however, the Rushes asserted the property line and their control of the greenbelt, the lawsuit says.
Coen and McDormand obtained their own survey, which affirmed the allegedly historic property line. The couples agreed to go into mediation and reached a tentative settlement in May 2018. The new line gave the Rushes most of the greenbelt, the lawsuit says.
But the Rushes started landscaping and irrigating the greenbelt without ever finalizing the settlement, the plaintiffs allege. They claim the Rushes kept raising new objections, such as the location of a propane tank on the Coen/McDormand property, and refused to ink the final deal.
In June, Coen and McDormand sent an email to the Rushes urging them to sign the final settlement documents they had prepared.
“We have abided by the agreement, in every way, over the past year, and settled every concern,” said the email, signed “Joel and Fran.” “We hope that we can continue a friendly relationship as neighbors for years to come. Our agreement has worked for over a year, and the sooner we finalize it, the sooner this dispute will be behind us for good.”
The Rushes maintained their objections. On Oct. 28, Coen and McDormand filed the lawsuit in Marin County Superior Court.
The suit asks the court to enforce the settlement or recognize the historic boundary. Failing that, the suit seeks a decree granting Coen and McDormand ownership of the greenbelt.
The couple also demand the costs of the litigation.
The suit is assigned to Judge James Chou. The first case management conference is set for March 19.