James Harden, sued over a contractual dispute related to property damage at a leased Beverly Hills mansion, has filed a cross- complaint against the homeowners association where the residence is located, alleging negligence and seeking indemnity.
The Clippers guard brought the legal action in Los Angeles Superior Court against both the Beverly Park North Homeowners Association as well as the Vmw Trust, identified in the court papers as the mansion's title holder at the time it was leased.
In the underlying complaint, plaintiff George Santopietro alleges that Harden paid $82,200 to stay for a week at the home contingent on him not having more than seven guests. But Harden had multiple parties during the lease term in which he hosted more than 15 people and the home suffered property damage that negatively affected Santopietro's relationship with the homeowners association, according to the plaintiff's court papers.
In their court papers, Harden's lawyers say Santopietro is seeking $300,000 in damages. The attorneys also maintain that at the start of the lease in August 2019, Santopietro, then in Bangkok, Thailand, gave his gatehouse HOA employees instructions, but they did not restrict who went to the mansion or the number of people, violating their own rules.
The HOA is liable for causing Harden damages because it did not follow its own rules, resulting in "obvious and significant damages," according to Harden's attorneys' court papers, which also state the gatehouse employees did not tell Harden that he was in violation of the HOA rules or ask if he was aware of them.
There were about 15 people at any given time in the mansion on Aug. 11 and Aug. 12, 2019, Harden's attorneys maintain.
Last August, Judge Michael Linfield denied the NBA player's fifth attempt to quash the service of the summons and the complaint, reversing a decision granted earlier this year by another judge.
Trial of Santopietro's case, filed in September 2019, is scheduled for July 29, 2024.
Harden, 34, became a member of the Clippers in October, four months after requesting a trade from the Philadelphia 76ers. His public trade demands prompted the NBA to fine him $100,000. He called 76ers team president of basketball operations Daryl Morey "a liar."
Harden attended Artesia High School in Lakewood and led the team to two state titles. He is the highest left-handed scorer in NBA history.
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