Edhat Staff
Judge rules in favor of the celebrity couple in a legal battle for their Montecito home
The legal battle over the $15 million Montecito mansion, purchased by pop star Katy Perry and her fiancé, actor Orlando Bloom, has reached a verdict in the couple’s favor.
A judge at the Los Angeles Superior Court made a tentative ruling, declaring that Carl Westcott, the 84-year-old founder of 1-800-Flowers who sold the property to Perry, was of sound mind when he agreed to the sale. The ruling will become permanent next week.
In response to the ruling, Perry’s attorney, Eric Rowen, stated, “Today’s proposed decision is clear – the judge found that Mr. Westcott could not prove anything other than he was of perfectly sound mind when he engaged in complex negotiations over several weeks with multiple parties to transact a lucrative sale of the property that netted him a substantial profit.”
Rowen further mentioned that they look forward to the upcoming damage trial phase, scheduled for February 13 and 14, to resolve any remaining matters. Perry is expected to testify in the pending countersuit.
The legal battle began when Westcott, who had sold the mansion to Perry in July 2020, attempted to rescind the deal, citing mental incapacity. He filed a lawsuit against Perry’s business manager, Bernie Gudvi, in August 2020.
The day before Westcott underwent surgery, Maria Shriver made an “out of the blue” offer on the home for $13 million. Westcott countered for $13.5 million then quickly rescinded agreeing they could get more money from another buyer, according to testimony from Westcott’s agent Cristal Clarke.
Perry gave a $13.5 million offer, and eventually agreed to Westcott’s counter-offer of $15 million, which she signed to pay in all cash with no contingencies.
Clarke testified that Westcott encouraged her to proceed with the sale but to keep Shriver’s $13.5 million offer as a back-up.
Judge Joseph Lipner’s ruling was based on witness testimony and the analysis of Wescott’s retained expert, Dr. Gary Small, a psychiatrist who never personally met Westcott. Lipner noted that there was significant evidence contradicting Small’s conclusion that Westcott was mentally unfit to enter into the contract. This evidence included testimonies from people who interacted with Westcott during the negotiations, as well as medical reports from his doctors, who found no signs of incapacity.
During proceedings Perry’s team argued she had envisioned the Montecito mansion to be a family home for herself, Bloom, and their three-year-old daughter. However, just days after signing the contract, Westcott informed Gudvi’s broker that he no longer wished to sell. Westcott’s team alleged that his mental incapacity was due to the genetic brain disorder, Huntington’s disease, which he had been diagnosed with in 2015. They further argued that his condition worsened after spinal surgery, leading to a postoperative delirium when the contract was presented to him.
In the end, the judge found Perry and Bloom’s position more convincing. The couple’s attorney emphasized the evidence of Westcott’s capacity and accused him of breaching the contract solely based on a change of mind.
Framing this as a “frail old man” who needs “compassion” dismisses the facts of the case. He was of sound mind and made a binding contract that netted him millions to add to his millions and he tried to illegally back out of it.
This is not thefirst time that Katy Perry has been in a court battle over real estate with frail elderly people, using her weath to battle them.
An 89-year-old Roman Catholic nun who has battled pop star Katy Perry for years over the sale of a Los Angeles convent collapsed and died during a court appearance, according to media reports and supporters.
Sister Catherine Rose Holzman, one of two aging nuns who were fighting the sale of the 8-acre (3-hectare) convent, died on Friday during related legal proceedings in Los Angeles County Court, Fox affiliate KTTV reported.
This time Perry won her case against a frail old man. Winning a case court does not always show compassion and heart.
That’s ridiculous to bring up. Are you implying it’s her fault the 89 year old died?
He probably found out who he had sold to and changed his mind which is discriminatory in nature and not a sound reason to back out of a signed real estate sale.
It’s going to be hard for me to have compassion for the Catholic Church in that case.
But the case this article is actually mentioning is a classic sellers-remorse. He sold it, regretted it, and tried to lawyer his way out of the deal. It didn’t work. Take the $15 mil and move on.