Katy Perry wants about $5 million from a disabled 85-year-old veteran.
In recent years, the once-beloved songstress’ name has become synonymous with real estate litigation.
After spending nearly half a decade at war over a Montecito mansion, she says that the previous owner owes her.
She wants money to fix it up — and, most of all, damages for rent that she might have been charging all of this time.
Katy Perry got the house, but she wants more money
In 2020, Katy Perry and then-boyfriend Orlando Bloom purchased a sprawling Montecito home from Carl Westcott.
The property is in an upscale community alongside big names like Oprah Winfrey and Meghan Markle.
With eight bedrooms and eleven bathrooms, the home has no shortage of comforts — proving that the $15 million mansion has value beyond its location.
However, mere days after signing the deal, businessman Carl Westcott alleged that he was incapacitated for the signing.
According to the 1-800-Flowers founder, painkillers had him out of commission — and made him unable to properly sign off on the sale.
That dispute is ongoing, with the two locked in a court battle over who owns the property.
In May of 2024, the court ruled in Perry’s favor.
The judge found that Westcott had not presented any persuasive evidence that he was incapacitated for the sale.
This meant that the residence became Perry’s property.
However, despite this victory, she’s not quite satisfied — and wants the former owner to pay up.
Singer Katy Perry has officially gained ownership of her Montecito home following a years-long legal dispute with the former owner, the founder of 1-800-Flowers.
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She’s asking for nearly $5 million
The Daily Mail reports that, on November 21, Katy Perry filed court documents saying that Carl Westcott owes her more than just the house.
According to her, he owes her money that she might have earned from renting out the house.
Additionally, she wants money from him for repairs to the mansion.
All total, she’s asking the court to force Westcott to pay her $4,718,698.95 in damages.
Most of that is for hypothetical rent that Perry might have received as a landlord while the property was in limbo. But homes require upkeep, and expensive homes make for expensive upkeep.
Perry specified that $3,535,000 of the damages that she’s seeking are in alleged rental value.
Meanwhile, she says that she needs $1,343,401.95 for repairs to the property.
(Her attorneys deducted $149,703 for losses that Westcott has suffered)
Meanwhile, Westcott’s attorneys say that Perry still owes $6 million of the $15 million that she agreed to pay for the property in 2020.
Allegedly, she has only paid him $9 million.
Who owes whom?
Now, Carl Westcott says that he is willing to reduce what Katy Perry still (allegedly) owes in light of repair expenses.
In his view, that would mean that Perry pays him $5,740,418.18.
(It seems that they have different estimates on repair expenses, judging by these numbers)
We have no idea what the court will decide. We here at THG have not reviewed the evidence, and we are not, in fact, part of the judicial system.
However, we know enough to note that this kind of move — aggressive litigation against a sympathetic opponent over money and high-end property — is just not going to help her image or her brand.