Billionaire Nelson Peltz and his wife Claudia are facing a $250-a-day fine after constructing a padel court on their Palm Beach estate without approval. The penalty was imposed by the Palm Beach code enforcement board on November 20, with fines backdated to October 30. As of November 25, the total had reached $6,750, and by the following Monday it had risen to $8,250, according to The Palm Beach Post.
The estate and its history
The couple’s estate, Mountsorrel, is valued at $372 million, making it the second-largest residential property in Palm Beach after Ken Griffin’s 27-acre estate near Mar-a-Lago. The mansion famously hosted the 2022 wedding of Nicola Peltz and Brooklyn Beckham. Nelson Peltz purchased the property in 1987 for $13.5 million and expanded it with a guest house across the street in 1988. The 15,400-square-foot mansion was completed in 1991.
Avoiding public scrutiny
Board member Chris Larmoyeux suggested that the Peltzes may have sought to avoid a public hearing, which would have been required to obtain a special exception for the court. “It seemed they wanted to avoid a public hearing over the padel court,” Larmoyeux said. Such hearings notify neighbors of construction plans, and similar requests have been rejected in the past due to concerns about noise and disruption.
Code enforcement actions
Code enforcement officer John Moriarty explained that the couple began building the court in May 2024 after installing a permitted concrete slab. However, the padel court itself was constructed without review or approval. “The department was originally notified of the violation by the planning, zoning and building department in June,” Moriarty said. The issue was raised at an October board meeting, where the Peltzes were absent.
At that meeting, the board imposed a $150 administrative fee and gave the couple until October 30 to comply. When they failed to remove the court, the fine was enforced in November.
Future decisions
Board chairman Martin Klein noted that the Peltzes could seek a fine reduction if the town council approves their special-exemption request, scheduled for review on January 14. “They could ask the code enforcement board for a fine reduction if approval is granted,” Klein said. Until then, the daily fines will continue to accumulate.
Background on Nelson Peltz
Nelson Peltz is a co-founder of Trian Fund Management and Trian Partners and previously served as chairman of Wendy’s. His net worth is estimated at $1.6 billion by Forbes.
