Hollywood Star Collette Loses Sydney Court Case
Movie star Toni Collette was Friday ordered to pay more than Aus$800,000 (U.S.$770,000) in damages after being sued for failing to complete the purchase of a multi-million dollar Sydney house.
Industrie clothing brand founders Nick and Susan Kelly sued the Oscar-nominated Australian actress and her musician husband David Galafassi and the Supreme Court in Sydney ruled in their favor.
The court heard that Collette, known for her roles in "The Sixth Sense" and TV show "United States of Tara", and Galafassi agreed to buy the Aus$6.35 million terrace in trendy Paddington in September 2011.
But on the settlement day in December that year they backed out, claiming not to have enough money, having failed to sell another property in Sydney.
The Kellys ultimately sold the house to another party for Aus$5.5 million, and sought damages mostly made up of the fall in value of the property as well as the costs of resale and interest.
Collette charged that the Kellys did not make a reasonable effort to get the best price for the property after their deal fell through, but Acting Justice William Windeyer disagreed.
He ruled Susan Kelly had "made reasonable efforts to minimize her loss and took reasonable care in selling the property for the price which she did".
He also found there was a "clear, continuing act of repudiation" by Collette and Galafassi, who he said had no intention of completing the sale.
Source: Agence France Presse
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