WEST HOLLYWOOD—Ken Todd, who is reality TV star Lisa Vanderpump’s husband, was served legal papers on August 10th, at 8:33 p.m., from his former landlord for alleged unpaid rent on the couple’s now defunct restaurant PUMP in West Hollywood.
Earlier this month the landlord’s company, 8948 Santa Monica Partners, sued PUMP LLC and Todd seeking close to $1 million dollars for breach of rental contract among other allegations. The tenants agreed to pay $32,000 per month in rent back in 2013 which was later increased to $42,500 in 2020.
The landlords are suing for $150,000 in absconding the liquor license, $50,000 of stolen fixtures, $250,000 of unpaid rent, $950,000 in damages, an additional $750,000 in damages for breach of contract, and $200,000 for not transferring over the liquor license with an estimated fair market value of $150,000.
According to reports, Todd’s former landlord hired a process server to track him down and served the paperwork at the couple’s Villa Rose estate in Beverly Hills. The estate is said to be worth $12 million.
The court documents reveal that Todd was supposed to turn the liquor license over to the new renter but refused to after surrendering the property on July 13th. After the couple relinquished the property, a new restaurant was established, and Todd allegedly withheld the liquor license preventing the new business from opening. This cost the landlords approximately $56,500 of base rent and other charges.
Todd denies allegations of any wrongdoing, but the property owners claim that his promissory fraud was willful, malicious and made in bad faith with reckless disregard for the wrongful and tortious nature when he entered into the lease contract.
In an interview with Page Six, Todd stated that the aggressive behavior by the landlord will not be tolerated and added that they showed no forgiveness during the entire term of Covid.
Back in May, a month before PUMP closed down, Vanderpump claimed that the rent had reached an untenable amount. The property owners deny Vanderpump’s claim telling Page Six, “We did not raise the rent and in fact have been nothing but supportive as they tried to catch up on lease obligations including forgiving some rent during Covid.”
On August 9th, the couple announced that they had plans to countersue 8948 Santa Monica Partners for damages. In a statement Todd claimed, “When we took over the place known as Pump 10 years ago, it was an empty car park. There were no trees. We installed beautiful olive trees, and they belong to us. We did not take the trees; they are still there. We did not rip the chandeliers out like the landlord is claiming. We lovingly took the antiques out, which are now in our possession as they are also ours. You don’t normally find antique chandeliers hanging in a car park. The liquor license we have traded under for the last 10 years also belongs to us. We are happy to sell it to them at the fair market value.”
“As a result of the landlord’s actions, we will be filing a cross-complaint seeking compensatory and punitive damages for their conduct.”
By Christianne