David Lee Hoffman, the Lagunitas resident and tea purveyor who has protected dozens of unpermitted buildings on his property from demolition despite a decade of legal actions and mounting fines from the county, this month brought a briefcase with $46,000 in cash to court.
The county did not touch the briefcase, but Mr. Hoffman gained ground: he has 60 days to formalize a settlement agreement.
Marin County Superior Court Judge Paul Haakenson—who in…