Don Henley sues the Eagles for return of notes and lyrics from the Eagles classic “Hotel California”

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Eagles singer Don Henley demands the return of his handwritten notes and song lyrics from the legendary Hotel California album, according to a lawsuit filed in New York on Friday.

The civil suit in federal court is the second attempt to obtain the documents. In March, prosecutors, in the middle of a trial, dropped charges against three collector experts accused of trying to sell the items.

Henley claims the pages were stolen. He said he would take civil action if criminal proceedings against antiquarian Glenn Horowitz, former Rock & Roll Hall of Fame curator Craig Inciardi and rock memorabilia seller Edward Kosinski are dropped.

Hotel California was released by the Eagles in 1977 and is the third best-selling album of all time in the US

“These 100 pages of personal song lyrics belong to Mr. Henley and his family, and he has not given permission to defendants or anyone else to sell them for profit,” Henley’s attorney, Daniel Petrocelli, said in an emailed statement to The Associated Press on Friday.

Attorneys for Kosinski and Inciardi dismissed the lawsuit as meritless, noting that the criminal case was dropped after it was determined that Henley had misled prosecutors by withholding key information.

“Don Henley is determined to rewrite history,” said Shawn Crowley, Kosinski’s attorney, in an emailed statement. “We look forward to taking this case to trial and filing a lawsuit against Henley to hold him accountable for his repeated lies and abuse of the legal system.”

Inciardi’s attorney, Stacey Richman, said in a separate statement that the lawsuit was aimed at “attempting intimidation” and “perpetuating a false narrative.”

A lawyer for Horowitz did not respond to an email seeking comment.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.