William R. Skolnick, Skolnick & Bardwell, P.A.

There may be one thing that Minnesotans love more than a lake view and that is a big garage. 

Litigation among neighbors over an $18 million house on Lake Minnetonka came to a halt recently after about three years — significant when one considers that no environmental regulations were violated and all city ordinances concerning permits and other building requirements were met. 

In fact, regulations and permits were barely contested, according to William R. Skolnick who defended Tom and Cindy Redmond. The couple, operating as Bushaway Road LLC, ultimately prevailed. 

The plaintiff neighbors are some big names in Minnesota — former Vikings Linebacker Chad Greenway and his wife Jenni, and Ken Ehlert, United Health’s former chief scientific officer, and his spouse, Wendy.

Defendants bought the lot on the lake, tore down an old building and built a new house. Their property extended across a road that went behind the house and included a large slope. They built a garage on this property with permits all in order. 

District Judge Edward T. Wahl dismissed Greenway and Ehlert’s claims. Wahl found that the Minnesota Environmental Rights Act was not violated, and their common-law claims were barred by laches.

“Plaintiffs were largely unable to articulate the remedy they sought at trial,” Wahl wrote. “All Plaintiffs testified at trial that they did not actually want the Court to order the removal of any part of the new residence constructed on [Bushaway Road] LLC’s property.”

The plaintiffs felt entitled to dictate the terms of the use of the property that they did not own, Skolnick said. He said that his clients were good neighbors and fully complied with the city during the construction of the house and garage.

The outcome of the trial was in sight when Ehlert told the judge that he didn’t want the property torn down, but he wanted to establish that the city was wrong to approve the buildings and wanted an apology. Wahl did not order one.