CAMDEN COUNTY, Mo. — Gary Prewitt has filed suit against a man who has spoken out against the operation and potential rezoning of Lazy Gators, a waterfront bar at the Lake of the Ozarks. Prewitt is seeking $300,000 in damages for libel and slander.

Mark Dunn, an attorney from the St. Louis area, spoke at the March 16 town hall meeting in the Village of Four Seasons, decrying Lazy Gators, owned by Glacier Park Investments, LLC, in which Prewitt has an interest. But 10 days before that meeting, Prewitt alleges Dunn sent a letter to individuals in Camden County government as well as the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Dunn also gave copies of the letter to Village of Four Seasons trustees, Prewitt alleges. Once those letters were sent, Prewitt points out they became publicly available.

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Prewitt alleges the letter is libelous, and says that Dunn’s reading from it at a Four Seasons Board of Trustees meeting on March 12—four days before the town hall meeting—amounts to slander.

Dunn also referenced the letter at the March 16 town hall meeting, in his comments to the Camden County commissioners who conducted the meeting.

Lazy Gators - Town Hall - Pt. 1

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Prewitt is seeking $150,000 in damages for each claim: a total of $300,000. Of those claims, Prewitt alleges damages of $50,000 for each; the additional $100,000 per claim is punitive damages demanded by Prewitt, “to discourage similar conduct by similar Defendant’s in the future.”

Among the “defamatory and false statements” Prewitt says the letter and subsequent reading of it contained:

  1. That Prewitt is the owner of Lot 72, Horseshoe Bend No. 6
  2. That Lazy Gators has been operating “illegally” since May 23, 2009
  3. That Prewitt has cost taxpayers of Camden County more than $300,000 in attorney’s fees
  4. That Prewitt is illegally using Lot 72 in violation of the Camden County Land Use Code
  5. That Prewitt is acting “unconscionably” by filing a new zoning application
  6. That Prewitt is perpetuating an “ongoing saga of repetitive zoning applications and lawsuits attempting to avoid the laws of Camden County and to pursue the illegal operation of a bar known as Lazy Gators…”
  7. That Prewitt owns a bar known as Lazy Gators, and
  8. That Prewitt has caused a waste of people’s time and a substantial waste of money of the taxpayers of Camden County

The county commission has acknowledged spending an estimated $300,000 or more on attorneys fees related to Lazy Gators litigation. The county has filed a lawsuit against Glacier Park Investments; Glacier Park Investments have filed multiple suits against the county—requesting $2.7 million in damages in one of them—and the commission has pointed out it is legally obligated to defend itself.

Prewitt explained his contentions in the lawsuit against Dunn by saying that Dunn, as an attorney, was aware that Lot 72 and Lazy Gators are owned by “various corporations in which [Prewitt] has an interest.”

Camden County records list Glacier Park Investments LLC as the owner of Lot 72, and the Missouri Secretary of State’s records list Gary Prewitt as the owner and registered agent of Glacier Park Investments LLC. Andy Prewitt was the registered agent until October 2011.

Prewitt says the characterization of the operation of Lazy Gators as “illegal” would give the impression of criminal activity. He has contended that Lazy Gators, which is on residentially zoned property, is not operating in violation of county zoning laws, since he has a state-issued caterer’s permit.

Prewitt also claims Dunn’s actions were malicious in nature and they exposed Prewitt to “public hatred, contempt or ridicule,” and have deprived Prewitt of “the benefits of public confidence and social intercourse.”

Prewitt declined to comment on the lawsuit, and Dunn could not be reached for comment.


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