An ex-federal magistrate judge and his client were hit with $435,000 in sanctions after a Miami judge ruled that the case presented an “egregious example of frivolous litigation” involving a “neighborly feud,” challenging the defendant’s authority to purchase assets of a trust, including the Southernmost House Hotel in Key West.

The duo receiving the bad news are former U.S. Magistrate Judge Hugh Morgan, who sat in the Southern District of Florida, and his client, the plaintiff, William Ramos. They asserted multiple claims, including breach of fiduciary duty and constructive trust against the defendant, Michael Halpern.

Circuit Judge Beatrice A. Butchko (Credit: J. Albert Diaz/ALM) Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Beatrice Butchko (Credit: J. Albert Diaz/ALM)