Nesen Father and Son Settle Suits Out of Court
Multimillion-dollar lawsuits involving a former U.S. ambassador, his businessman son and a failed luxury car business have been resolved out of court, it was announced Monday.
Lawyers for Robert D. Nesen, 80, his youngest of three sons, Gary D. Nesen, and the now-defunct Nesen Motor Car Co. would not disclose the terms of the settlement.
Nor would they stray from this terse prepared statement about the matter:
“Leonard Alexander and Robert Fischer, attorneys for Robert D. Nesen, and Louis R. Miller, attorney for Gary D. Nesen, announced that all of the disputes between Gary and Robert Nesen and Nesen Motor Car Co. have been amicably resolved out of court.”
The “disputes” stemmed from the collapse of the family business--once a profitable and respected company in the Thousand Oaks Auto Mall--that was steeped in red ink by the time it was sold in November 1996 to corporations owned by multimillionaire John E. Anderson of the Silver Star Automotive Group.
Incorporated in 1987 as a successor to a handful of family-owned dealerships, Nesen Motor Car Co. boasted annual sales of about $200 million and employed about 200 people at its height in the early 1990s.
At that time, Gary and Robert Nesen were prominent figures in Conejo Valley society. They participated in charities and Republican politics and owned a vacation home in Lake Arrowhead and a cattle ranch in Oregon.
After the company faltered, the lawsuits began.
In a $2-million suit filed April 25, 1997, lawyers for Nesen Motor Car Co. contended that Gary Nesen--the company’s president and chairman--lived lavishly at the business’ expense, running up debts. In legal filings, Gary Nesen has previously denied those assertions.
Gary Nesen, meanwhile, claimed in a $10-million suit filed the same day that his father and others conspired against him to conceal company debts so he would sell at a loss, forcing him into financial ruin. Robert Nesen has denied those charges in earlier legal filings.
Those suits and others filed in Ventura, Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties detailed the elegant lifestyles--and subsequent financial woes--of the Nesens, who live in Thousand Oaks’ exclusive Hidden Valley and North Ranch neighborhoods.
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Late Monday, lawyers Alexander and Miller declined comment on the Nesens’ behalf. Alexander said that the suits were settled in December but that the wording of the statement had only just been approved.
As for how much money--if any--changed hands, Miller said, “It’s a confidential settlement; I can’t disclose its terms. Needless to say, we’re pleased the matter has been resolved.”
