Skip to navigationSkip to main contentSkip to right columnADVERTISEMENTVawn HimmelsbachSat, July 25, 2026 at 12:15 PM GMT+2 5 min readCBS 17For Robert Mihaly, his home really is his castle. The self-taught sculptor has been building a whimsical castle by hand on a mountaintop in North Carolina for the past three decades.But after a whirlwind romance, he became entangled in a two-year legal feud over Castle Mont Rouge — and it hasn't ended well for either party, local station CBS 17 reports.Must ReadMihaly met Julie Seel on Match.com back in 2023. They only dated a few months, but they immediately jumped into a joint business venture to turn the castle into an event venue and soon afterward moved in together, according to The News & Observer.Mihaly alleges that Seel targeted him in a romance scam to gain control of his property. Seel, on the other hand, alleges that Mihaly targeted her for her wealth to help fund the construction of his castle.Seel wanted a judge to impose a lien against the property to reimburse her for the money she put into the venture. If that had happened, Mihaly may have been forced to sell Castle Mont Rouge.However, a judge was having none of it. After two days of testimony — and before reaching the jury — Durham County Superior Court Judge Josephine Kerr Davis dismissed both parties' claims.But after a two-year scorched-earth legal battle, Mihaly and Seel have both taken a serious financial (and perhaps reputational) hit.A business venture turned sourWe may never know whether Mihaly was targeted in a romance scam or if Seel was targeted for her money.But the battle over Castle Mont Rouge has some takeaways for anyone starting a joint business venture with a friend, family member or romantic partner (though it may be advisable to avoid jumping into business with someone you just met on a dating app).According to the Observer's reporting, the day after they first met for drinks at a pub, Mihaly took Seel to the castle. She then offered to lend him money — with a handshake and a promise of reasonable interest — to finish the decades-long project and turn it into an event venue. Soon the two moved in together.The speed at which this progressed and the informality of their business arrangement should have been immediate flags, for both parties.Terms and Privacy PolicyEU DSA contactPrivacy & Cookie SettingsMore Info