Katy Perry tentatively won a preliminary round Tuesday in a battle over a $15 million Montecito estate that pits her against wealthy Texas businessman Carl Westcott when a judge ruled a contract her manager signed to buy the property can be enforced.
In a proposed statement of decision, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Joseph Lipner rejected arguments by Westcott's attorneys that the multimillionaire lacked the capacity to enter a sale agreement with Bernie Gudvi on July 15, 2020, and that therefore the contract should be rescinded.
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In reality, significant evidence showed Westcott, 84, was mentally sound when the deal was made, according to the judge.
Communications Westcott wrote during the same time period showed him to be "coherent, engaged, lucid and rational," according to Lipner, who also noted in his 32-page opinion that the businessman entered other contracts before and after the Perry deal and Westcott is not trying to invalidate those.
"There are no grounds for rescission," according to Lipner, who presided over the nonjury trial regarding the enforceability of the contract, heard final arguments Friday and took the case under submission. "The contract must be respected."
Gudvi represented the 39-year-old singer and her beau, Orlando Bloom, in the purchase of the nine-bedroom luxury property from Westcott. A jury trial on damages will take place Feb. 13-14, 2024, to determine if Gudvi is entitled to damages.
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