Cards Against Humanity is the latest organization to fight Elon Musk in court. The irreverent party game company has filed a $15 million lawsuit against SpaceX for trespassing on property it owns in Texas near SpaceX facilities.
according to Musk’s rocket company, which has filed a federal lawsuit in Texas, has been using its land without permission for the past six months. “SpaceX took what was previously ‘clean’ land and completely destroyed it with gravel, tractors and space debris,” CAH writes. .
As you’d expect from a card game company known for its wry sense of humor and headline-grabbing stunts, there’s a fun story about being next door to SpaceX in Texas in the first place. the company bought land along the US-Mexico border to protest then-President Donald Trump’s plan to build a border wall. Since then, the company writes, it has maintained the land with regular mowing, fencing and “no trespassing” signs.
SpaceX later purchased the adjacent land and allegedly began using CAH’s land earlier this year as part of some sort of construction project. From the claim (underline theirs):
The site has been cleared of vegetation and compacted with gravel or other material to allow SpaceX and its contractors to operate and park vehicles throughout the Property. Generators were brought in to run equipment and lights while work was being done before and after daylight. A huge mound of gravel was dumped on the property; gravel is stored and used by SpaceX’s contractors to construct buildings along the way. Large construction equipment and numerous construction related vehicles are continuously used and stored on the Property. And, of course, construction workers and construction materials and vehicles for the work to be done in other tracts are involved. In short, SpaceX assumed the Property for at least six (6) months without regard to CAH’s property rights and presumably the safety of anyone entering the work area governed by OSHA safety requirements.
SpaceX “never sought permission” to use the land and “never contacted CAH to explain or apologize for the damage,” according to the filing. However, the rocket company issued a “12-hour ultimatum to accept a lower bid for less than half the value of our land,” according to a statement posted online. A CAH spokesperson said the land in question was “about an acre” in size.
In response to the ultimatum, CAH filed a $15 million lawsuit against SpaceX for trespassing and damage to its property. The game company, which was originally funded through a Kickstarter campaign, says that if it succeeds in court, it will share the proceeds with the 150,000 fans who helped buy the land in 2017. Subscribers can sign up for a chance to receive up to $150 of a potential $15 million payout if their claim is successful. (A disclaimer notes, “Elon Musk has way more money and lawyers than Cards Against Humanity, and even if CAH tries to get me $100, they’ll probably only get me $2, or most likely nothing. )
SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But CAH isn’t the only Texas landowner raising questions about the company’s tactics. SpaceX has aggressively grown its footprint in South Texas in recent years. The expansion, which resulted in many locals selling their land to SpaceX, has rankled some longtime residents, according to the study. Reuters.
CAH says Musk’s past behavior makes SpaceX’s actions “particularly offensive” to a company known for its stance on social issues.
“The strike campaign of 2017, which resulted in the purchase of the property, was based on CAH’s “injustice, lies, [and] racism”, it is stated. “Thus, it is particularly offensive that these heinous acts against Mulk were committed by a company run by Elon Musk. As is well known, Musk has been accused of tolerating racism and sexism at Tesla and promoting the anti-Semitic “Great Replacement Theory.” Allowing Musk’s company to abuse the Real Estate that CAH supporters put money into to buy to stop such behavior is completely contrary to both the cause of the contribution and the principles on which CAH is founded.”
