The maker of the popular party game Cards Against Humanity is suing SpaceX for $15m over claims Elon Musk’s company trespassed and damaged a plot of its land.
A lawsuit filed in Texas alleges SpaceX treated a plot of land owned by Cards Against Humanity as essentially its own for at least the past six months.
The company purchased a plot of land in Cameron County in 2017 as part of a stunt to prevent then president Donald Trump from building a border wall in the area between the US and Mexico.
It was purchased after 150,000 subscribers paid $15 to their Cards Against Humanity Saves America campaign.
The lawsuit said Cards Against Humanity – referred to as CAH in legal filings – “acquired the Property for the sole purpose of ensuring that it would stay that way” and added: “SpaceX’s abuse of this Property has not only destroyed its natural condition, but has also caused even greater harm to CAH by virtue of the damage it has caused to CAH’s relationship with its paying supporters.”
Cards Against Humanity purchased a plot of land in Cameron County, Texas, to protest against Donald Trump’s border wall in 2017.
File pic: Cards Against Humanity / Cameron County District Court
SpaceX allegedly trespassed and abused the property for at least six months without Cards Against Humanity’s knowledge
Pic: Cards Against Humanity / Cameron County District Court
In a statement through their Saves America campaign, Cards Against Humanity said SpaceX “f***ed” the land and alleged Mr Musk “figured he could just dump his shit all over our gorgeous plot of land without asking”.
The Chicago-based company then claimed “SpaceX gave us a 12-hour ultimatum to accept a lowball offer for less than half our land’s value” after they noticed the alleged trespass on their land. They said they declined the offer before filing the suit.
On a website – titled elonowesyou100dollars – the card company said it was seeking $15m in damages and offered the original subscribers to the Save America campaign $100 should they win the claim.
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They also referenced a Reuters news agency report into SpaceX’s rapid development in the south Texas areas where it operates, in which some locals criticised the company for unfair and unchecked property and government dealings.
SpaceX started operating in Texas in 2003. In recent months, Mr Musk has stated he would move more of his businesses to the state.
Neither SpaceX nor Mr Musk have commented publicly on the matter. Sky News has contacted SpaceX for comment.