Vail Resorts is seeking the dismissal of a lawsuit that threatens to close two Park City Mountain ski lifts, with the company describing a Provo-based nonprofit’s claims as “unsupportable” and “without any reasonable reason.” The ski resort filed its motion to dismiss against UI Charit able Advisors last week. The nonprofit, which describes itself online as a “philanthropic advisory firm,” sued Vail Resorts in February. The complaint centered on one parcel of land in The Colony at White Pine Canyon, a 4,600-acre residential community with direct ski-in access, near the Canyons Village side of the ski resort. The nonprofit said it purchased the parcel, which houses portions of the Timberline and Iron Mountain Express ski lifts, in December 2024. UI Charitable Advisors in its lawsuit alleged Vail Resorts does not have permission to operate the two lifts on its property because easement rights were never legally transferred to the ski resort when it acquired Park City Mountain. However, Vail Resorts said UI Charitable Advisors made an “unsupportable claim that a ski resort that has been operating … for nearly two decades, and for many years before Parcel B even existed as a legal parcel, suddenly has no right to do so.” The company also said the two ski lifts and their nearby ski runs were “critical to the functioning of a ski area that benefits the entire surrounding community.” Vail Resorts pointed to an easement agreement filed with the Summit County Recorder in June 2003, which gave the resort the right to operate lifts and runs on the property. The easement covered most of the parcel in question, according to court documents. The motion to dismiss said the transfer of property to UI Charitable Advisors in 2024 did not rid the parcel of the 2003 easement agreement and that the nonprofit had been aware of the ski resort’s operations when it accepted the title. Vail Resorts said UI Charitable Advisors’ claims to the parcel were “predicated upon an erroneous legal argument” that the easement had been modified by a new map in 2010. But the motion to dismiss said the easement is “repeatedly” depicted on the map and that an easement still cannot be modified without a written agreement. “The harm that (Vail Resorts) would suffer far outweighs the alleged harm to (UI Charitable Advisors),” the motion said. “The harm suffered by (Vail Resorts) would be severe, affecting not only the resort, but its employees, its guests and the surrounding community. When properly weighed, the harm far outweighs (UI Charitable Advisors’) unsupported allegations of injury.” The motion additionally said the damage to Vail Resorts would be “immediate” without the possibility of “later remediation” because of how dramatically closing the two lifts would affect its operations. “The resort employs a substantial seasonal workforce, including lift operators, ski patrollers, instructors, hospitality staff and maintenance personnel,” the motion said. “The Colony HOA and its members would be directly impacted as their ability to use the ski runs within the HOA would be curtailed if not terminated, and the loss of an operating ski resort within the HOA community would directly impact the owners’ property values.” The document also mentioned the effect on local businesses, including restaurants, hotels and transportation providers. “The potential disruption to the regional economy and the public’s reliance on winter recreation weighs strongly against the issuance of an injunction,” the motion said. Vail Resorts concluded by requesting Summit County Third District Judge Richard Mrazik dismiss UI Charitable Advisors’ lawsuit in addition to awarding attorney’s fees and costs. The post Vail Resorts moves to dismiss lawsuit threatening Timberline, Iron Mountain Express ski lifts appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less