03/31/2018
Media Release: R.W. Meyer, Limited To Halt Moloka'i Mule Rides And Escorted Hikes On Kalaupapa Trail
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March 31, 2018
Media Contact: Laurie LaGrange, 808-375-9335
R.W. Meyer, Limited To Halt Moloka'i Mule Rides And Escorted Hikes On Kalaupapa Trail
Landowner serves eviction notice to Kalaupapa Rare Adventures over land lease that ended January 2017 and cites lessees refusal to negotiate a new lease in good faith, stop its daily operations on land owned by R. W. Meyer, or show proofofliability insurance, placing family trust at risk.
Moloka'i, HI - R.W. Meyer, Limited (R.W. Meyer) has served an eviction notice to Kalaupapa Rare Adventures, LLC (KRA) for land it owns in Kala'e, Moloka'i, ending the tour company's ability to legally continue operating escorted mule rides and hikes down the Kalaupapa Trail. R.W. Meyer's lease agreement with KRA ended on January 31, 2017, and since that time, KRA has refused to negotiate a new lease in good faith, yet continues to operate its business without paying a monthly rent for its land use. KRA has also ignored repeated requests to show proof of liability insurance, placing R.W. Meyer at risk for potential lawsuits due to injury. An eviction notice was formally served to KRA on March 20, 2018. R.W. Meyer remains hopeful KRA will adhere to the eviction notice and vacate its property.
For the past 40 years, R.W. Meyer has held lease agreements with private tour companies, allowing access to its land on Moloka'i for the purpose of company-led mule rides and hikes down the Kalaupapa Trail. Kala'e Barn, which houses the mules, sits on R.W. Meyer property, as well as the trailhead by Kala'e Highway. Mule riders and hikers must pass through the trailhead to gain access to Kalaupapa Trail and ultimately, Kalaupapa Settlement. R.W. Meyer has held a lease agreement with KRA since the company was formed in 2010.
On January 26, 2015, R.W. Meyer granted KRA a one-year lease, effective February 1, 2015 through December 31, 2015 at a reduced monthly rent of $1,374 to assist with KRA's expenses to repair its mule barn. On December 9, 2015, R.W. Meyer extended the lease to January 31, 2017, again decreasing its proposed $2,500 per month rent to $1,800 to provide additional financial assistance to KRA, based on the company's documented financial needs.
In November 2016, R.W. Meyer began negotiations for an extended lease, proposing an increased rent of $3,000 per month, plus a 20% share of fees collected per hiker, which equates to just under $16 per hiker. Numerous emails were sent to KRA, asking them to respond and to negotiate in good faith by providing documentation as to why they felt they could not afford the rent increase, as they had done in the past. An in person meeting was also held between the principals of each entity on November 18, 2016.
Since the lease expired on January 31, 2017, KRA refused to negotiate a new lease, provide any payments for use of the land for more than a year, or show proof of liability insurance, placing the R.W. Meyer family trust at risk, both financially and legally.
On March 1, 2017, in an attempt to come to a resolution, R.W. Meyer offered to take the dispute to mediation, which KRA refused to acknowledge. Even after the eviction notice was served, KRA continues to advertise, book reservations and conduct business on a daily basis. On its website, the company lists charges of up to $209 per person for the mule ride, and up to $79 per hiker.
KRA's only response to negotiating a new lease since talks between the two entities ended in November 2016 was to file various land claims in court, first demanding $5 million in gold or silver from R.W. Meyer, followed by a second increased demand of $50 million claiming Native Hawaiian rights - ironically, against Native Hawaiian land owner R.W. Meyer, who has the legal deeds to the land. On July 31, 2017, a Federal Magistrate found that KRA failed to prove they had rights to the land and on January 10, 2018, the Second Circuit Court granted a judgement against KRA, issuing a Writ of Possesion.
"This is not about greed or stopping a business from operating mule rides or tours to Kalaupapa to share the history of Moloka'i," said Paul Meyer, President of R.W. Meyer, Ltd. "This is about good business practices and fulfilling our responsibility to our shareholders and the 900 living descendants of R.W. Meyer. Everyday that Kalaupapa Rare Adventures operates without a lease agreement, we are put at risk, and they have refused to make any attempts to pay rent or even respond to our requests to negotiate a new lease. They left us no choice but to evict them from our property."
Meyer says the company has been contacted by other businesses wishing to conduct escorted tours and he remains hopeful this tradition can continue. "My great grandfather, Rudolph Wilhelm Meyer, was the first superintendent of the Kalaupapa Leper Settlement," added Meyer. "We would like nothing more than to continue sharing this experience and the rich history of Moloka'i and Kalaupapa with our visitors. But, we need to do this in a responsible manner with a company that honors and respects what we have agreed upon, and keeps our visitors safe."
The 3.5-mile Kalaupapa Trail is known for its steep incline and rough terrain, with 26 switchbacks, descending the 2,000-foot sea-cliffs. Injuries to mule riders have occurred on numerous occasions, with the most recent taking place in December 2017 after a 54-year old man visiting from California was knocked unconscious when he fell off his mule and suffered head injuries. An employee of KRA also fell off her mule in the same incident, suffering head and torso injuries.
About R.W. Meyer, Limited
R.W. Meyer, Limited is a privately held company in Kaunakakai, Moloka'i, Hawaii. Its ties to Hawaii date back to 1850, when the company's namesake, Rudolph Wilhelm Meyer, left his hometown of Hamburg, Germany in 1849 to seek opportunity abroad. Meyer settled on Moloka'i, where he met and married High Chiefess Kalama Waha. In December 1854, Meyer purchased from the government more than 200 acres of pastureland at Kala'e, where he built a large family homestead, raising eleven children with his wife. He cultivated his land into a farm, growing various fruits and vegetables, raising farm animals, and developing the first sugar and coffee plantations on Moloka'i. He also operated a large cattle ranch and local dairy.
Meyer served as manager of the royal lands of Moloka'i under King Kamehameha the IV, the V, Princess Ruth Keelikolani, and Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop and her husband, Charles Reed Bishop. In addition, he served as the first superintendent of the Kalaupapa Leper Settlement under the Board of Health for 30 years. He also served as Moloka'i's district magistrate, postmaster, roadmaster, harbormaster, and in numerous other public offices,
Today, R.W. Meyer, Limited manages more than 2,700 acres of family owned land and rental properties, and is dedicated to preserving Moloka'i's historic sites and its history, including the R.W. Meyer Sugar Mill built in 1878. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Sugar Mill is considered the most complete and informative Hawaiian nineteenth century sugar mill.
