Sofía Vergara is being sued by the contractors who renovated her Los Angeles mansion for allegedly failing to pay them more than $1.7 million.
via: Radar Online
According to court documents obtained by RadarOnline.com, the Modern Family star asked that the “frivolous” lawsuit be dismissed from Los Angeles Superior Court.
As we previously reported, earlier this year, a company named Reside Custom Homes [RCH] sued Vergara for $1.7 million in damages.
RCH claimed Vergara hired it in April 2022 to renovate her $26 million mansion in Beverly Hills, California. The company said Vergara agreed to pay for the work plus a contractor’s fee.
Over months, RCH said it installed clay plaster in various rooms and replaced a flight of stairs.
RCH said it worked on the home until March 2023. The company accused Vergara of failing to pay $1.7 million.
In response, Vergara claimed the lawsuit was filed in an attempt to “pressure” her into a settlement. She said the contractor used his court filing to “publicize a false narrative” about the situation.
Vergara’s lawyer said the lawsuit came days after the actress sent a demand letter to RCH. In the letter, Vergara accused the contractor of performing below-standard work and overcharging her on projects. The actress informed RCH she would be taking the company to mediation and then arbitration.
RCH then filed the public lawsuit despite Vergara’s letter.
Now, in her newly filed response, Vergara said the entire lawsuit should be moved out of Los Angeles Superior Court and into arbitration.
“Not only are [RCH’s] claims subject to arbitration, they are nothing more than frivolous counterclaims that were concocted after Defendants’ counsel sent an October 2023 demand letter regarding [RCH’s] failures to perform its obligations as General Contractor,” Vergara’s lawyer said.“[RCH] filed this action in direct contravention of the obligation to arbitrate in order to publicize a false narrative and seek to embarrass well-known actress, Defendant Sofia Vergara, given her public persona.”
In addition, Vergara’s lawyer accused RCH of filing the lawsuit to “embarrass” Vergara and “extort a settlement on monies that are simply not owed.”
“But [RCH] miscalculated because Vergara won’t be bullied,” her lawyer wrote. The actress demanded the case be dismissed and the parties face off in arbitration.
The judge has yet to rule.
As RadarOnline.com first reported, last month, in court papers, Vergara accused RCH of “homophobic conduct.”
Vergara claimed RCH “engaged in homophobic conduct, by among other things, “referring to gays as “fairies” and firing a homosexual representative apparently based on animus related to sexual preference. Had [Vergara] known that [RCH] was homophobic, [she] never would have hired [RCH],” her lawyer claimed.
RCH has yet to respond to the homophobic claims.
