Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom in legal battle with 83-year-old over £12m property
Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom have reportedly been involved in a three-year legal claim with an individual over a multi-million dollar property located in California.
The couple are said to have bought a house from Carl Westcott, now 83, in Santa Barbara three years ago. The alleged contract for the sale back in 2020 has reportedly since been disputed.
Carl reportedly signed a contract to sell his home to Katy, now 38, for $15 million (around £12 million). Legal documents however state that he's now disputing the sale based on his mental capacity at the time.
Katy Perry (left) and Orlando Bloom (right) have reportedly been involved in a legal claim with an individual over a house sale (Getty Images for Lifetime)The Daily Mail reports that in July 2020, Carl signed a real estate contract to sell his home to Katy. He's however said to have since claimed he was under the influence of opioids and painkillers following back surgery, with his lawyers suggesting that the sale was therefore "void or voidable".
When the effects of the painkillers wore off days later, Carl reportedly claims he realised what he'd signed away and rescinded the contract.
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According to Carl's complaint from the time, obtained by the outlet, he never listed the property or spoke to a broker about selling it. He had himself bought the home on May 29, 2020, just two months prior to the sale with Katy. He was reportedly planning to live there as his primary residence "for the rest of his life," according to the complaint.
The document, shared by the outlet, states that on July 11 in 2020 he was discharged from the hospital after undergoing a six-hour back surgery. He's said to have been prescribed at least two opiates in pill form, reportedly taking them as prescribed several times each day.
The complaint states: "The combination of his age, frailty from his back condition and recent surgery, and the opiates he was taking several times a day rendered Mr. Westcott of unsound mind."
It adds that around three days later on July 14, Bernie Gudvi, who reportedly represented Katy and Orlando, now 46, presented Carl with a written offer for more money than he had paid for the home. The next day Carl reportedly signed the document prepared by the brokerage firm.
Katy and Orlando have been together since around 2019 (AFP via Getty Images)His lawyers argue that Carl was "unable to understand the nature and probable consequences of his actions." The complaint alleges that days after the sale, Carl "started to feel mentally clear again" and realised what he had done.
It claims that on July 22, Carl sent an email to property agency Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties (Berkshire Hathaway) saying that he didn't want to sell his home. It adds that he mentioned that he had been under the influence of pain medication.
He then allegedly received a letter from the couple whom Mr. Gudvi was representing, in which they reportedly personally expressed their interest in the property. Carl allegedly replied saying he was "in the final years of his life" and couldn't sell the home.
According to the documents, he received a letter from a lawyer the following day. "The letter stated, in sum and substance, that the lawyer represented not only Mr. Gudvi, but also Mr. Orlando Bloom and Ms. Katheryn Hudson (professionally known as Katy Perry) on whose behalf Mr. Gudvi had always been acting. The letter advised Mr. Westcott that his clients Mr. Bloom and Ms. Hudson are not willing to walk away from purchasing Mr. Westcott’s home and he is obligated to complete the sale.," the document states.
It's argued by Carl's lawyer in the court documents that the contract to sell his home is "void or voidable" due to his mental capacity at the time. And his family are reportedly now 'fighting Katy for control' of their father's $15 million estate.
The case is reportedly now heading for trial, which is set for later this month. It's been claimed by the outlet that Carl won't attend the upcoming trial.
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