Katy Perry wins $15,000,000 property battle against disabled pensioner
After a four year dispute, Katy Perry has been awarded her $15,000,000 Montecito mansion sold to her by 84-year-old Carl Westcott.
The Dark Horse singer was locked in a legal battle after the disabled pensioner claimed he was not of sound mind when he signed the real estate contract.
In July 2020, Perry, 39, had purchased the whopping mansion under her LLC, DDoveB, named for her daughter Daisy Dove Bloom, three.
She and fiancé Orlando Bloom, 47, were planning to move in when Westcott claimed he was under the influence of opioids and painkillers at the time of signing.
He had reportedly injured his back and stated he only realised what he had done days later when the effects of the drugs wore off.
A judge ruled against him in November and according to Wall Street Journal, Perry has now successfully acquired the property.
According to People, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Joseph Lipner said: ‘Westcott presented no persuasive evidence that he lacked capacity into a real estate contract.’
Westcott, who suffers from Huntington’s disease, had originally purchased the property in May 2020 just two months before the sale.
He claims it was intended to be his ‘forever home’ and in his original complaint stated he did not list the property and had not spoken to a broker about putting it on the market.
On July 11, the US Army 101st Airborne veteran returned to the 9,285sqft home after a stint in hospital for a six-hour surgery on his back.
Three days later he was sent a written offer from Perry and Bloom’s representative Bernie Gudvi for more money than he had paid for the property.
The next day he had signed the agreement but lawyers argued Westcott was ‘unable to understand the nature and probable consequences of his actions.’
After recovering, the 1-800-Flowers founder sent an email to the dual agent and stated he no longer wished to sell the property.
Reportedly he noted the influence of the medication and said he was ‘in the final years of his life and cannot sell his home.’
In a statement to Rolling Stone, Perry’s attorney Eric Rowen said: ‘The evidence shows that Mr. Westcott breached the contract for no other reason than he had changed his mind.
‘We look forward to wrapping this matter up at the scheduled damage trial phase set for February 13 and 14, if not before.’
The Roar hitmaker is moving to claim against the veteran for millions of dollars in lost rent that they could have charged for the eight-bedroom home.
Speaking to the New York Post, Westcott’s son Chart said: ‘Where the judge’s ruling may follow the letter of the law, it shows that the law has no spirit.
‘Katy Perry will now have to testify, in person, to receive her “damages”. We look forward to her testimony.
‘We hope Ms. Perry enjoys her pyrrhic victory. Lastly, we wish the judge had spelled our father’s name correctly.’
Apparently after the sale, Perry and Bloom had written a personal letter to Westcott in which they thanked him for selling them the home.
It is said they discussed how the mansion was somewhere they could live in as a family and hoped to bring up their then-unborn daughter, something Westcott’s son said was at odds with her claim for list rentals on the property.
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