Valuable parking for some skiers, like Virgin Mountain Dust, has returned to a Lake Tahoe resort, but not before its corporate owner filed a valuable legal battle with two-season pass holders.

An 80-year-old lawyer and another first-timer from college were parking their cars at the Mountain Sky Center, now owned by the Weil Resort. Northstar California has filed a special lawsuit for $ 20 a day (40 weekends) instead of the traditional parking lot. Bought their passes.

Unlike visitors from San Francisco who may spend the entire weekend skiing, attorneys like Steven Kroll and Robert Grossman often run a little faster in the morning and then jump in cars and go to work.

Both have traveled steep slopes for decades. They had never imagined the climb they would face months after renewing passes for the 2019-20 season, and it would cost $ 2,000 a season to park where they had been freely used for years.

Gradually Grossman won a small claim court judgment of $ 692 and $ 135, respectively.

After being buried in opposition filings, Kroll did nothing and agreed to dismiss the federal case for fear of being ordered to pay thousands of dollars in legal fees and costs.

Kroll from Crystal Bay said: “Never fight with a big threat.

Last October, Grossman began to hear rumors of an unannounced policy change. So he called Northstar to see if it was right that the parking lot would be a mile plus away, and he thought it would take another hour for each visit.

“I told them what you need to do to get the best smell, give them a parking pass that any season skier would ask for,” he recalled. “They told me to go on the pound of sand.”

Weil defended the fees as a way to ease traffic congestion and speed up overall access to the slopes. The company declined to comment on the litigation.

Grossman won in small claim court – where legal representation is prohibited – because Pass said refunds will be issued to those who do not ski every season.

“I’m starting to hear arguments from a group of attorneys,” Weil appealed to Plaser County Court. “I said, ‘Really?’ This is a $ 500 small claim case. I’m not going to pay $ 20,000 to a lawyer to defend me. ”

To his surprise, the district court upheld the verdict. Grossman was expecting another appeal but was recently paid.

In his case, Kroll said Weil’s attorneys made it clear that they would do everything possible to delay a 12 – minute hearing during the court – ordered settlement teleconference.

Indications are that the judge threatened to impose sanctions for the first time in his career.

“I thought, it doesn’t look good,” Kroll said. They had a law firm with 80 lawyers, which was only for me and my secretary. ”

Kroll dropped his case. He and Grossman are skiing elsewhere.

Russell Carlton, a spokesman for Veil Resorts, said parking fees have helped ease congestion, but some days it’s unnecessary.

He said in an email to the Associated Press that “guest feedback” and COVID-19 contributed to the decision to restore the previous parking genetic parking options. “The ultimate goal of all action decisions is to provide the best overall experience possible for guests visiting our resort.”