Ownership of Roy Meat Service has settled the lawsuit it faced from a neighbor over a property line dispute and the smell of smoke in her yard, attorneys confirmed to The Tennessean.
Dealing with the suit was a major cost and source of stress for Jeff Roy, owner of the small East Nashville butcher shop and restaurant. Roy, who was named in the lawsuit, said he could not share specifics of the settlement but that his shop will have to change the days and times they cook.
"This way it's over," Roy said in an Aug. 28 interview. "I got the first couple good nights of sleep in a while knowing that it's over. It's cost me quite a bit of money."
Natalie Castillo sued Roy and Emma Hollis, who owns the store property that Roy rents, in January 2023, about
two years after she purchased her home. In her suit, she said that a shed and concrete slab behind Roy Meat Service extended onto her property by 1.7 feet, resulting to her property getting pumped full of wood smoke whenever someone fired up the grill. She also said zoning regulations that should have prevented Roy from operating a restaurant at that location were not being enforced.
The suit sparked a grassroots campaign to support Roy's, which opened in 2008 and helped feed neighbors for free when tornadoes destroyed parts of Nashville in 2020. After people heard about the lawsuit, Roy said he had to start using a second meat smoker to keep up with demand.
Roy's attorney Nick Leonardo confirmed the lawsuit was settled the week of Aug. 17. In an email, Leonardo said, "Both parties are happy with the outcome and it’s a good result for the neighborhood."
Mark Freeman, Castillo's lawyer, was not available for an interview but confirmed the case had settled, an employee at his firm told The Tennessean in a phone call.
Roy said business has been a bit down with it being so hot this summer.
"But I believe, I believe people will start coming by and getting more stuff to grill as it cools off a little bit," Roy said.
Have questions about the justice system? Evan Mealins is the justice reporter for The Tennessean. Contact him with questions, tips or story ideas at emealins@tennessean.com.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Roy Meat Service settles lawsuit with neighbor: 'I can sleep again'
