Judge dismisses Clark County suit against ‘nude luxury retreat’
A judge has dismissed Clark County’s lawsuit against an advertised “nude luxury retreat” that was accused of operating as an unlicensed business.
The dismissal comes after the county and the defendants — which were accused of running an unlicensed business out of two adjacent homes on East Harmon Avenue — filed an agreement to dismiss all claims.
“Our main goal was to shut down the illegal operation, and we believe we accomplished that goal,” Chief Deputy District Attorney Rob Warhola said.
The lawsuit was filed in 2019 against Dewey and Julie Wohl and also named Sea Mountain One Love Temple and Zen Temple as defendants. At the time, the temple was advertised in a Las Vegas travel magazine as a “nude luxury retreat” with a 24-hour dayclub and nightclub.
District Judge David Jones dismissed the case Monday without prejudice, which means Clark County is free to bring another lawsuit forward on the same grounds. But the defendant’s attorney, Christopher Reade, said that would not be likely.
“The dismissal was part of discussions with the district attorney,” he said. “My clients appreciated the district attorney’s good faith and understanding in reaching an accord to dismiss.”
Property records show that the Wohls sold the homes at 2461 and 2471 E. Harmon Ave. in December to a woman named Divinity Cox for a total of $710,000. Cox could not be reached for comment on Tuesday.
The county’s lawsuit had asked Jones to shut down the business and order the owners to pay more than $15,000 in unpaid taxes, fees and interest.
It was filed after a code enforcement investigation found signage for Sea Mountain One Love Temple placed around the two homes’ shared backyard pools. The county had designated the home at 2461 E. Harmon Ave. as a place of worship under its previous ownership.
The Wohls bought the homes for $610,000 in late 2016 from James Stanford and his wife, Lynn Morris, who transformed the homes into a Buddhist meditation center and operated them as such for more than five years.
But the county’s lawsuit accused the Wohls of using both homes as a commercial spa, nightclub, bar, motel and retail store. Food also was being served there without proper permitting from the Southern Nevada Health District, according to the lawsuit.
In a response to the complaint, Reade wrote in court documents that his clients were protected under their constitutional rights of freedom of religion and freedom of assembly.
When a reporter attempted to reach the temple by phone Tuesday, the line went straight to voicemail.
“One Love Temple is closed. Thank you,” the voice on the other end said. “We remain in your prayers.”
Contact Briana Erickson at berickson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5244. Follow @ByBrianaE on Twitter.