Larry Page Fights $23 Million Island Claim After Mediation Fails

larry page’s effort to clear title to Hans Lollik and Little Hans Lollik hit another setback last week. Mediation ended in an impasse in the long-running US Virgin Islands case, and the dispute over who owns the islands is still headed for court action.

Page and Lucinda Southworth bought the islands for $23 million in 2014. Page’s company, USVI Properties, wants the court to say the islands belong to it free and clear of any claim by Great Hans.

USVI Properties in court

The fight has moved through Texas courts for years, and a Texas appeals court ruled in 2019 that James Eckel was only entitled to financial damages, not the islands. That left Page’s side still trying to clear a document that asserts a legal claim to the property.

Page has sued Great Hans to remove that document. The US Virgin Islands Superior Court filing said the issue will require court action, which keeps the ownership question open after the failed mediation.

Hans Lollik dispute drags on

The case has stretched for nearly 12 years, and the two islands remain at the center of a property fight that has already crossed jurisdictions. Page’s lawyers said in a 2018 filing that he plans to maintain the islands in their undeveloped green and natural state.

Wayne Osborne testified in 2016 that the plan was to purchase the islands but not develop them. Gil Simon said he did not reveal Page’s involvement to the sellers to keep his identity concealed.

The latest impasse leaves Page’s side still seeking a ruling that could settle ownership, while Great Hans continues to press its claimed interest. For now, the unresolved filing means the islands stay tied up in litigation instead of moving toward a clean title.