SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego Polo Club holds matches on some prime real estate.

It’s an 80 acre flat, grassy field east of Interstate 5 and south of Via De La Valle.

The land is owned by the people of San Diego---leased by the City of San Diego to the Polo Club.

For years, the Club has held matches here and as the I-Team has discovered, for years the club has been in violation of the agreement with the city and has ignored a court order about how the land has been treated.

Were they given any special preference by city leaders or city bureaucrats?

It began when the club destroyed what should have been a permanent pedestrian trail along the San Dieguito River. They disked the land, making it soft for surface soft for the polo ponies.

Dick Bobertz, the executive director of the. San Dieguito Riverpark Joint Powers Authority complains to the I-Team the club “…basically confiscated a public trail."

A court ruled in June, 2005 what the club did was illegal and they should “immediately cease..grading the property”

But last week, as our camera rolled, we saw a worker continue to disk the land in violation of the order.

As Bobertz watched the grading along with us, his response was pointed. “They're not concerned about complying."

The original lease in 1986 spelled out the Polo Club had to protect the “existing pedestrian/equestrian path," which is what the Club has graded over.

This needs to be corrected quickly says executive director Bobertz. The area in question is an element in the the unique 75 miles Coast to Crest public trail.

It’s time , says Bobertz, for the Polo Club to repair the area.

While city officials have known about the issues for as many as seven years, it is only this week have they sent a letter to the Club telling them to remedy the problem or face eviction.

You can see the letter for yourself. City Letter

Robert Vacchi of the City’s Code Enforcement told us, "So they have to go back and do the restoration and get the permits, if they don't the city can go back and take possession of the property."

The Polo Club could face up to $250,000 in fines but the city thinks threatening them with this letter will probably get more accomplished. So the club will face no quarter million dollar fine.

All the while the Club says they tried to work with the city and they have done nothing wrong.

"We're operating within our lease, we're doing everything we're suppossed to, as far as we know," says Chris Collins, who with his father Harry, signed the original lease and built the club.

They’re prominent developers, owning Collins Development and La Jolla Developments.

Campaign records show their companies gave $5,600 to campaigns with ties to Mayor Jerry Sanders.

The elder Collins also gave a contribution to Brian Mainscheins election campaign.

We asked Chris Collins if got special treatment from city officials. He laughed, saying "I dont' think so."

Collins says he tried to resolve the issue and get the necessary permits. ”The city rejected our application for a grading permit."

City officials tell the I-Team the Polo Club is really trying to make their illegal grading, legal. They will not agree to this.

Still, there remains the question why this has dragged on for years, even after a court order?

It’s difficult to say, much is swirling around this story. However we do know that the San Diego City Councilmen who were supposed to monitor the development rarely attended meetings of The Joint Powers Authority.

The records show former Council President Scott Peters missed ten out of sixteen meetings while council member Brian Maienschein missed fifteen of sixteen meetings over two years.