Rihanna has won a key argument during her $8.5 million lawsuit over a leaky Los Angeles mansion that she purchased.
The pop star has claimed that this leak ruined a sound system that she’d had custom-fitted into her new abode, which cost her $6.9 million, and it also lead to mold growing on some of her designer garments too.
Depositions for the case took place in Los Angeles last week. The former owner of the house admitted that he’d told brokers Prudential California Realty of the house’s issues. However, Prudential then didn’t inform the “Umbrella” singer of these problems before she moved in, in 2009. Because of this, Rihanna is now suing for the huge sum.
An insider told Page Six , “It doesn’t rain much in California, but when it did, it rained inside the house. Rihanna never got to move in, but she started modifying it, building a custom closet and fitting in state-of-the-art audio. She didn’t know the house would leak, and the water ruined the new sound system and grew mold on the walls and on some of her clothes.”
The source continued, “Last week in depositions, the seller, who’s a developer, said he told Prudential about the problems with the property, but it was sold to Rihanna as a dream home.”
Rihanna filed the original suit in 2011, which read, “In or about January 2010, the property was subject to a moderate rainstorm.?.?. the rainwater pooled on the second-floor balcony and seeped into numerous rooms.?.?. numerous construction defects, which existed at the time [Rihanna] purchased the property were not made known to [her].”
She reacted apoplectically to the leak’s discovery, and she has since claimed that she was tricked into buying the building. She added, “the actual value of the property at the time of purchase, taking into consideration the extensive construction defects… was millions of dollars less” than what she ultimately paid for it.
Because of these reasons, Rihanna is now embroiled in a lawsuit with the mansion’s former owner, the inspector who examined it before she moved in, as well as the engineers and brokers who worked on her crooked residence for negligence, fraud and breach of contract.
According to the source, this new deposition “puts the focus squarely on Prudential.” Rihanna has since sold the house, and she is now renting an apartment that is located in downtown Manhattan.
Last night, Rihanna won another Grammy Award for her album, Unapologetic , even though she decided against actually appearing at the ceremony, which took place at LA’s Nokia Theatre.