Katy Perry & Orlando Bloom score legal victory in battle to evict veteran, 83, from $14.2m home – but he’s fighting back
POPSTAR Katy Perry and her actor husband Orlando Bloom have won a court battle to evict an elderly disabled veteran from his home.
In 2021 the two Hollywood stars bought a luxurious mansion in Montecito, California which Carl Wescott owned.
The 83-year-old then claimed that due to a number of health issues at the time he did not have sufficient mental capacity to enter into the $14.2 million contract.
However, on Wednesday Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Joseph Lipner concluded that Wescott did not have enough evidence to support this claim and that the property rightfully belongs to Perry.
"This proposed decision is crystal clear — the judge has concluded that Mr. Westcott was in full possession of his faculties when he engaged in complex negotiations with multiple parties to finalize the lucrative sale of the property, which ultimately brought him a substantial profit,” the singer's attorney Eric Rowen told Rolling Stone.
He added: "The evidence overwhelmingly shows that Mr. Westcott breached the contract simply because he changed his mind. We eagerly anticipate resolving this matter during the scheduled damage trial phase set for February 13 and 14, if not sooner."
However, Westcott’s son, Chart hit back telling : "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, and to her being confronted with possible sanctions for perjury."
He explained that "Perry has put herself in a box" after she initially claimed that the 8.9-acre estate featuring eight bedrooms would become a family home.
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The 38-year-old then alleged that she had "lost years of rental income and is owed damages" from Westcott.
A letter from that year from the A-star couple stated: "As you know we are expecting a baby next month and know this will be the best place to bring her home to and raise her in."
They also spoke of the home as a space where they would “grow together as a family."
However, court documents show that Perry's legal team is requesting $2.67 million in damages due to their inability to rent the home.
"We hope Ms. Perry enjoys her pyrrhic victory, as she explains to her fans about twice taking homes from the elderly," Chart added.
Westcott's son was alluding to Perry's previous three-year legal battle over purchasing a former convent in Los Angeles.
Court documents seen by The Post show that at the time the contract was drawn up in July 2020, Westcott claimed he "lacked the mental capacity to understand the nature and probable consequences of the contract."
The documents added that the US Army veteran who had only bought the home himself on May 29 of that year had planned to be there "for the rest of his life."
According to the details of the case, Wescott who suffers from Huntington's disease had major six-hour surgery and was on painkillers less than a week before the contract was drawn up.
A week later on July 22, 2020, he claimed his medication had started to wear off and he realized about the house sale and immediately messaged the real estate agent about his mistake.
In response, Perry and Bloom offered to pay more money for the home but Westcott followed up saying that he "gave it his deepest consideration, but that he is in the final few years of his life and he cannot sell his home."
Perry's team argued that Westcott had actively followed up on negotiations and even rejected her initial offer of $13.5 million and arranged a tour of the home on July 17 the day before the deal was sealed.
At the ruling, Judge Lipner criticized Wescott's medical expert's testimony about his condition at the time of the contract.
"While Dr. Gary Small testified towards the end of direct examination that he believed Westcott lacked the capacity to contract on July 15 and July 18, 2020, he failed to provide a compelling explanation of how he reached that conclusion," the judge said.
"Dr. Small’s testimony did not provide a sufficient basis for the court to conclude that Westcott lacked the competence to sign the sales contract."
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Perry will now have to testify about damages in the final part of the court battle.
