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DURHAM, N.C. (WNCN) — A Durham County judge threw out multiple claims centered on an unfinished castle that stands at the top of Red Mountain in Person County.
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Local sculptor Robert Mihaly, who owns Castle Mont Rouge in Rougemont, faced a lawsuit filed by a woman he once dated for less than a year.
According to court documents, Julie Seel wanted a judge to impose a lien against the castle before ordering its sale to pay back debt. But on Thursday, the case was dismissed.
Court records claimed Mihaly and Seel met one another in 2023 before they agreed to work on the castle together with a vision to turn the building into an event space. That vision quickly fell through when their relationship ended, according to the document.
Taking building materials and labor into account, Seel estimates she spent more than $200,000 on the castle.
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Court records also show Mihaly filed a counterclaim, which was also thrown out in court. This week’s trial never reached the point of jury deliberation.
Mihaly accused Seel of operating a romance scam. The claims include that Seel fraudulently influenced Mihaly into signing a business agreement.
The trail that started on Monday at the Durham County courthouse came to a swift close, leaving the fate of Castle Mont Rouge in question.
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