Multiple sources report that TY Management, owner of the Kapalua golf courses, has filed a federal lawsuit alleging fraud and racketeering against Maui Land & Pineapple (MLP) over the Honokohau water system. The suit claims MLP executives manipulated billing records to shift costs onto the golf courses and other water customers. MLP has denied the allegations, calling the lawsuit an attempt to pressure the company into selling its water system.
- TY Management filed the federal lawsuit alleging MLP CEO Race Randle oversaw fraudulent billing that inflated irrigation water rates for the Kapalua golf courses.
- Attorneys allege that internal emails and Microsoft Word documents obtained during discovery show MLP executives deliberately reclassified ‘repairs’ — costs MLP was contractually responsible for — as ‘maintenance,’ shifting those expenses to the golf course. (Yahoo)
- Kapalua’s annual water bill reportedly climbed from $253,000 in 2022 to $1.7 million in 2025, with MLP projecting costs near $2.5 million for the current year. (Yahoo)
- Water rates for MLP’s roughly 1,500 other customers in the area have also surged — up 346% for agricultural customers and 673% for the county. (Yahoo)
- MLP denied wrongdoing, stating it believes the lawsuit is an effort to pressure the company into transferring control of the water system and that the claims lack merit.
- The dispute is the latest development in a long-running legal battle over West Maui water access and control.
Sources
- Hawaii News Now: Kapalua golf course owner sues Maui Land and Pineapple over water billing
- Yahoo: Kapalua Golf Course owners file federal lawsuit, saying water landowners illegally raised water rates
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