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Coachella Valley balloon operators sue owners of mysterious olive ranch
Hot air balloon readying for lift-off.
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Coachella Valley balloon operators sue owners of mysterious olive ranch
Coachella Valley balloon operators sue owners of mysterious olive ranch
Hot air balloonists are suing the owners of a Coachella Valley ranch who tried to ban flights above their property. The farm dropped its lawsuit earlier this year, but not before the balloonists racked up hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees.
The balloon operators hope to recover $337,000 in attorneys’ fees. A wealthy farming family from San Diego County sued the two operators for allegedly flying too close to its Inland olive ranch. The same farmers threatened other balloon operators with legal action.
Attorneys for JCM Farming claim the balloons invaded occupants’ privacy and posed a safety risk. The balloonists say they never flew below federal requirements. JCM dropped the lawsuit just as it appeared the case would go to trial.
But the long-running legal saga deflated the Valley’s commercial balloon industry. Attorneys for the balloon operators commissioned an economic analysis that calculated losses of nearly $10 million for each year the hot-air balloons were grounded. They plan to resume flying next month — at about the same time a court will schedule a hearing on the balloonists’ lawsuit.
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