A property sale between longtime friends in San Antonio has developed into a protracted legal dispute, with attorney Martin Phipps and his rooftop cocktail bar, Paramour, agreeing to surrender their spaces in a River Walk building.
asserted
Phipps → develop → building
In late 2022, Phipps’ company, Emet LLC, agreed to sell the property at 102 Ninth St. to CDC Enterprises LP for $11 million.
asserted
company → agree → million
The deal later unravelled over a disputed $2.75 million arrangement involving the purchase price and prepaid rent, alongside allegations of unpaid rent.
asserted
deal → unravel → rent
In late October 2025, a jury found that Phipps and his companies had committed fraud against CDC and awarded the company more than $1.2 million in damages and attorneys’ fees.
asserted
Phipps → find → damages
The dispute continued through eviction proceedings and repeated lockouts.
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dispute → continue → proceedings
On October 9, 2026, the parties signed agreements requiring Phipps’ law firm and Paramour to surrender their spaces, with a limited period to remove their belongings.
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parties → sign → belongings
The agreements resolve the immediate eviction proceedings but do not establish that every financial or contractual dispute arising from the sale has been settled.
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dispute → resolve → sale
How the $11 million San Antonio property sale became a legal dispute
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sale → become → ?
In late 2022, Phipps’ company, Emet LLC, agreed to sell the building at 102 Ninth St.
to CDC Enterprises, a company associated with Daren Connel, a longtime friend of Phipps.
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company → agree → Phipps
According to the San Antonio Express-News, CDC financed $8.25 million of the $11 million transaction, while the remaining $2.75 million was treated as a debt in place of a cash down payment.
uncertain
million → accord → payment
Phipps maintained that the amount was to be credited as prepaid rent for his law firm and Paramour.
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amount → maintain → firm
CDC disputed that interpretation.
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CDC → dispute → interpretation
Phipps maintained that the parties had agreed to treat the $2.75 million as prepaid rent credit for his law firm and Paramour.
asserted
parties → maintain → firm
CDC disputed that interpretation, and the disagreement became central to the litigation.
asserted
disagreement → dispute → litigation
The building, constructed by Phipps in 2014, houses his law firm and Paramour, a rooftop cocktail bar operated by Holy Spirits LLC.
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building → construct → LLC
The building, commonly known as the Phipps Building, has since been referred to as Paradigm, the name shown on a leasing sign described in later reporting.
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building → know → reporting
CDC’s ownership was upheld in the trial court, while Emet retained a contractual right to buy back the building until late 2027, subject to the terms of the agreement.
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Emet → uphold → agreement
The dispute illustrates how a property sale can become complicated when financing arrangements, rent credits and commercial leases are linked.
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arrangements → illustrate → ?
The parties’ disagreement over the $2.75 million arrangement became part of a wider conflict involving ownership, unpaid rent and possession of the premises.
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disagreement → become → premises
Paramour eviction dispute: unpaid rent claims and repeated lockouts
The disagreement extended beyond the sale contract into disputes over rent and possession of the building.
uncertain
disagreement → repeat → building
In January 2024, CDC sued Holy Spirits LLC, which operates Paramour, seeking about $260,000 in alleged unpaid rent, fees and interest.
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which → sue → rent
CDC claimed the bar had failed to pay rent for several months.
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bar → claim → months
Phipps disputed the landlord’s position and argued that CDC owed money in connection with the property.
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CDC → dispute → property
These were competing claims made during the dispute, rather than findings that either party had established every allegation.
uncertain
party → compete → allegation
In February 2024, a justice of the peace ruled in CDC’s favour in an eviction case against Holy Spirits.
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justice → rule → Spirits
The company appealed the ruling later that month, moving the dispute into county court, according to the San Antonio Express-News.
uncertain
company → appeal → News
The conflict also led to repeated lockouts.
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conflict → lead → lockouts
In 2024, Phipps accused CDC of unlawfully locking out his law firm and Paramour.
asserted
Phipps → accuse → firm
The dispute resurfaced in March 2026, when CDC again locked out the tenants, citing alleged unpaid rent and common-area maintenance charges.
asserted
CDC → resurface → rent
On March 18, 2026, a judge ruled that the March 2 lockout was unlawful because CDC had changed the locks without providing the required 14-day notice.
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CDC → rule → notice
The ruling did not prevent CDC from pursuing eviction through the legal process.
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ruling → prevent → process
In September 2026, CDC locked out Paramour and Phipps’ law firm for the third time since June 2024, according to the San Antonio Express-News.
uncertain
CDC → lock → News
The landlord cited alleged unpaid rent.
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landlord → cite → rent
The lockout led to further eviction proceedings, with cases scheduled for trial on October 9.
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cases → lead → October
The parties signed agreements that day requiring the tenants to surrender their spaces, according to the San Antonio Express-News.
uncertain
parties → sign → News
The $1.2 million jury verdict and the ruling on ownership
A major turning point came in late October 2025, when a jury ruled against Phipps and his companies in the dispute over the building.
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jury → come → building
According to the San Antonio Express-News, the jury found against Phipps and his companies on CDC’s fraud claims and awarded CDC more than $1.2 million in damages and attorneys’ fees.
uncertain
jury → accord → damages
The jury awarded Phipps’ companies nothing on their own claims.
uncertain
jury → award → claims
Phipps, Emet LLC, Holy Spirits LLC, his law firm and his property management firm had countersued CDC on 16 claims, including a claim seeking to have the sale contract declared void and unenforceable because of alleged fraud.
uncertain
contract → countersue → fraud
During the trial, Phipps’ lawyer asked jurors to award his clients more than $5 million for lost rental income, prepaid rent and building expenses.
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lawyer → ask → income
…and 17 more, not listed.
The Aporia
