Hideout Resolves First of Four Legal Disputes With Mustang Development in $600,000 Settlement

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By Miki Mullor

Hideout, Utah —

The Town of Hideout has reached a $600,000 settlement with Mustang Development LLC, resolving the first of four pending lawsuits between the town and its master developer and ending a long-running dispute over impact fees and infrastructure reimbursement while three additional cases remain active in Wasatch County court.

The settlement, approved in November 2025, brings to a close litigation that traced back to Hideout’s earliest years as a newly incorporated town. The agreement ends the lawsuit with prejudice, meaning it cannot be refiled, and resolves all disputed payments owed through Sept. 30, 2025, while preserving the town’s reimbursement obligations going forward.

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Mustang Seeks $352,000 in Legal Fees After Four-Year Battle With Town of Hideout

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By Miki Mullor, Hideout Comment | October 28, 2025

HIDEOUT, Utah — The Town of Hideout faces a hefty new legal bill after losing a four-year court battle with Mustang Development LLC, one that could cost the town more than it spends on all legal services in an average year.

Mustang filed a motion this month asking a Wasatch County judge to order the town to pay $352,975 in legal fees and costs. The request follows an Oct. 3 ruling that declared the developer the prevailing party in its dispute with the town over development rights under a 2019 master development agreement.

If approved, the payment would exceed more than two and a half times Hideout’s entire 2024 legal budget of about $137,000, according to town financial records. It would also rival the combined annual cost of the town’s engineering and police contracts. That figure does not include the hundreds of thousands of dollars Hideout has already spent on its own lawyers during the case.

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Judge Affirms Mustang’s Development Rights, Revives Claims Against Former Hideout Mayor

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By Miki Mullor
Editor

WASATCH COUNTY, Utah (Oct. 7, 2025) — A Utah judge has handed Mustang Development LLC a significant win in its years long battle with the Town of Hideout, affirming the company’s right to nearly 2,000 homes under a master development agreement and allowing damages claims against former Mayor Philip Rubin to move forward.

Fourth District Judge Jennifer Mabey ruled Oct. 3 that Mustang is entitled to seek attorney fees after the town conceded its original position on density was wrong. The court also granted Mustang permission to file a third amended complaint, reviving claims that Rubin acted in his personal capacity when he allegedly conspired with a town planner to spread false information about the developer’s rights.

Mustang is pursuing more than $100 million in damages, claiming the misinformation campaign killed a $9.5 million land sale and devalued property throughout Hideout. A trial date has not been set.

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Hideout Mayor Phil Rubin Resigns

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By Miki Mullor
Editor

HIDEOUT, Utah (April 16, 2025) — Mayor Phil Rubin has resigned from his position, citing health concerns, effective April 14. Rubin, who was first elected in 2017 and re-elected in 2021, led the town through significant growth over his seven-year tenure.

Mayor Phil Rubin

In the interim, Mayor Pro Tempore and Town Council Member Chris Baier will assume mayoral duties until the Town Council appoints a temporary replacement. The council is scheduled to hold a special meeting on Monday, May 12, at 6 p.m. at Hideout Town Hall to interview candidates and vote on an interim mayor, who will serve through the end of 2025.

Residents interested in the interim position must submit their names to Town Recorder Alicia Fairbourne via email at afairbourne@hideoututah.gov by Thursday, May 8, at 5 p.m. Candidates are required to have been primary residents of Hideout for at least 12 months prior to May 12 and must complete conflict of interest and financial disclosure forms before the deadline.

The next mayoral election is set for November 2025. Prospective candidates must file a Declaration of Candidacy and disclose any potential conflicts of interest in person at Hideout Town Hall between June 2 and June 6.

Mayor confirms water right shortfall; setups an independent working group 

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By Miki Mullor 

Mayor Phil Rubin has confirmed a water right deficit liability exists, as we reported.  

Rubin shared with the Town’ council that he has set up an independent working group made of experts to look for ways to procure water rights, for the already approved 1,800 or so units, which he contends were approved prior to his first  administration without actually having the water rights to support it.

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Hideout sued for $10 million for refusing Golden Eagle Certificates of Occupancy

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By MIki Mullor

The legal drama over Golden Eagle reached a new level today when Mustang Development LLC, the developer of Golden Eagle, sued the Town of Hideout over its refusal to issue certificates of occupancy (COs) in Golden Eagle.

Mustang claims it suffered damages of at least $10 million dollars as a result of lost sales caused by the Town’s actions, including harm to relationships with individuals that have purchased lots, lost past and future sales and harm to its reputation in the Summit and Wasatch County real estate communities.

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Hideout’s water rights deficit: a $13-25 million water bomb ?

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After the Hideout Comment exposed in our last story another misrepresentation by Mayor Phil Rubin to the town council, his administration trips over itself in attempts to save his credibility.

In the process, the administration alluded to potentially even a bigger problem looming over Hideout: the approval of development without acquiring water rights, a problem that could prove very costly, to the tune of $13-25 million potentially.

Lack of transparency by the administration and Rubin leaves much of the issues in the dark, including the financial viability of Hideout moving forward.

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Hideout’s attempt to hike water rates by up to 54% tests the Mayor’s credibility

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By Miki Mullor

Forced to roll back water connection fees, the Town of Hideout is now proposing water usage increases by up to 54%. Mayor Phil Rubin blamed the rate hike on an increase in the cost of water charged by the Town’s wholesale supplier, Jordanelle Special Service District (“JSSD”).

JSSD has denied it raised rates on Hideout. Documents obtained through a GRAMA request from JSSD show no rate increase in the last two years.

Hideout’s budget proposal for FY24 shows that water costs are in fact expected to be lower than the four year average and lower than FY21 and FY22. Salaries and benefits cost on the other hand is set to increase by 42% compared to last year, and by 226% compared to FY21.

This might be the second time Rubin is relying on misrepresentation to the council to raise public fees. After we published our story on the use of fabricated data to justify gouging water meter fees, the council voted to roll back those fees and issue refunds to impacted residents.

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Hideout gouges water meter fees by $3,500, possibly illegally

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By Miki Mullor 

Facing questions from citizens and the Hideout Comment, Town of Hideout’s Mayor, Phil Rubin, and the Town Engineer Timm Dixon, were unable to support with facts their action to raise water meter fees on new residents by more than 450%. The March 2022 fee hike, approved by the Town’s council, may be violating Utah State law, which protects residents against unreasonable fee hikes.  

The fee hike was initiated by Dixon, who relied on misinformation to justify it, and supported by Rubin, who made questionable public statements on the validity of the fee hike. 

The Town was expected to gain about $445,000 a year from the hike, per the Town’s FY23 budget.  Utah law prohibits cities from generating profits from water connection fees. 

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