A battle between a wealthy Texas oil-and-gas couple and a Montana business over a ranch once owned by a famed chocolatier briefly played out in court before the matter was dismissed this week.
Through an attorney, Texas residents David and Crystal Watts’ DC Montana LLC, dropped its complaint on July 27 in U.S. District Court in Billings, Mont., against Trophies West Outfitters over the land its purchasing in the southeast corner of Big Sky Country. Specifically, DC Montana was attempting to stop Trophies West from conducting pre-scheduled hunting expeditions on the more than 100,000-acre property they’re supposed to close on Aug. 24.
The court fight lasted less than a week before the Watts family opted to stand down.
The Watts’ DC Montana entered into a buy-sell agreement in April to purchase Diamond Cross Ranch, located in both Bighorn and Rosebud counties and about 140 miles east of Billings. The seller is Charlotte de Mevius, a baroness and member of a wealthy Belgian family with shares of multinational beverage company AB InBev. She purchased the property in 2017 for around $64 million from the estate of Forrest Mars Jr., heir to the Mars candy fortune.
But while the Watts family was looking to wrap up the deal, Montana outfitter Trophies West was beginning to conduct turkey hunt expeditions at Diamond Cross, according to DC Montana’s complaint issued July 21. According to the Billings Gazette, which first reported the complaint, Trophies West is one of the many businesses in Montana that enters into lease agreements with private landowners to be able to arrange guided deer, elk, mountain lion, prairie dog and turkey hunts for paying clients on said land.
The issue, according to DC Montana in the complaint, was that a lease agreement wasn’t on record before the sale. But knowing the sale was taking place, Trophies West allegedly hastily put together a “Verification of Hunting Lease Contract” and had it sent to DC Montana in June in an attempt to prove it could continue hosting hunts on the property.
Meanwhile, in a letter dated July 6, the attorney representing Trophies West told de Mevius and other Diamond Cross representatives the business “has no desire to terminate the lease and intends to enforce the lease terms for the 2026 hunting season” despite the concerns of DC Montana.
“If the lease were to be breached or terminated at this time it would not just destroy Troy’s business and reputation, but also the dreams of his clients,” continued the letter, which noted Trophies West had about 35 clients “lined up for this hunting season.”
DC Montana sought an immediate termination of hunts on the Diamond Cross Ranch property. But the matter ended in court nearly as quickly as it started, and it will likely conclude behind closed doors.
“Plaintiff DC Montana Holdings, LLC hereby notifies the Court of the dismissal without prejudice of all its claims against Defendant Troy & Tina Sams, LLC d/b/a Trophies West Outfitters,” read the voluntary dismissal issued July 27. “The parties believe they have reached a resolution of this matter.”
Timothy Malcolm
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