Huntington Beach officials are suing the operator they hired to run the Meadowlark Golf Course after the company allegedly refused to pay late fees on missed rent during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

While a city audit found the company – Arcis Golf –  missed around $13,000 in rent payments city staff tacked on over $400,000 in late fees.

But Arcis Golf’s lawyers found “excessive,” according to their emails with city leaders in the summer of 2024. 

“We do not contest the amount of rent the audit found owing them from the end of the four year term,” wrote Arcis General Counsel Scott Siddons in an August 2024 email. “However we find the $400,970 assessed in late fees to be excessive.” 

While the company paid over $114,000 to cover late rent and fees, they have not sent the city the full requested amount according to the city’s lawsuit. 

Arcis Golf did not respond to requests for comment. 

After publication, Karen Moraghan, a spokesperson for Arcis Golf, said they only found out about the lawsuit when they were questioned about it.

“Arcis Golf met with the City Manager on December 4, 2025, to discuss the issues. Both parties agreed that their respective attorneys should reconnect and determine next steps,” Moraghan wrote. “Arcis Golf was unaware that a suit had been filed by the City of Huntington Beach until contacted by the writer of this article.”

Now, city lawyers are asking an Orange County Superior Court Judge to step in, claiming that on top of late rent the company has also failed to maintain the property, leading to flooding across the property. 

“On or about March 12, the parties met to discuss drainage and flooding issues occurring on the property,” city attorneys wrote in court filings. “On April 7, 2025, Arcis sent a letter to Plaintiff stating that the drainage issues were historical and it would not repair or maintain the drainage lines or channels that were at issue.” 

Arcis’ contract to manage the golf course runs through 2028, and members of the city’s finance commission have been calling for a new operator to be brought in before then for months. 

“They’re still dragging their feet on paying us money,” said Finance Commissioner David Cicerone, who was on the city’s task force examining the issue, at the commission’s Sept. 24 meeting. 

“If we can improve the course and address things like drainage and irrigation, dramatically improve the overall clubhouse, the restaurant, the bar in there, then we could be looking at what is the crown jewel of Huntington Beach,” Cicerone said. 

[Read: Huntington Beach Struggles With Late Rent From Meadowlark Golf Course]

Arcis has not yet filed a response in court, but privately has refused to pay out the remaining $272,000 requested by the city according to the city’s lawsuit. 

A hearing on the case is scheduled in June.

Noah Biesiada is a Voice of OC reporter. Contact him at nbiesiada@voiceofoc.org.