The Gorga’s Tenant Will Not Be Evicted – Judge Orders New Court Date
The Gorga’s tenant from hell scored another victory in court yesterday, August 5th.
Stars of the “Real Housewives of New Jersey” Joe and Melissa Gorga faced another hiccup in their ongoing court battle with their tenant, Kai Patterson, yesterday.
Things didn’t go well for the reality TV couple when the judge refused to evict their tenant from hell, Kai Patterson. The Gorga’s have been trying to evict Kai Patterson for nonpayment of rent for months now.
The RHONJ stars, claim they rented Kai Patterson their Montville, NJ home for $20,ooo a month in a rent-to-buy arrangement for the $3.8 million purchase price. Their tenant is currently 5 months in arrears. According to court documents, Patterson’s rent check bounced in April, then he failed to pay rent in May and June.
Yesterday, Superior Court Judge Stephen Taylor departed from a previous ruling that found Patterson in default on the lease. Basically the judge ruled, the matter should have been heard in open court. The judge’s decision was based on the fact that in landlord-tenant matters where there’s an option to buy a leased property, a judgment for possession by default shall not be entered “without proof in open court.”
“This is not a standard landlord-tenant issue,” Judge Taylor said of the case Tuesday. This is probable because Joe Gorga, filed the matter pro se (without an attorney’s assistance) initially. Gorga is currently represented by attorney Frank Catania.
Patterson’s attorney, Richard Koppenaal said the outcome of the day’s proceedings was “excellent.”
Patterson has said his dispute with the Bravo channel stars arose because they failed to make promised repairs on the mansion, after he paid $25,000 for repairs “in lieu of a security deposit.” Patterson has cited numerous problems with the house, including plumbing and heating issues, a leaking ceiling and beavers living in crawl spaces.
The Gorga’s attorney, Catania said:
“Patterson was creating a smokescreen for the court. I would have liked a different outcome. I would have liked it if (the judge) evicted him. Mr. Patterson is trying to create a smokescreen for the court and to elude his personal obligations.”
According to Patterson’s attorney, his client has paid a total of $35,000, including $10,000 in rent for August, which has been held by the court in escrow. Meanwhile, the attorney for the Gorga’s is claiming, Patterson owes the reality couple $165,000.
Additionally, Patterson’s attorney maintains that the complaint against Patterson was “defective” since Patterson’s company, Bounty Alert, is listed as the tenant on the lease not him. The Gorga’s lawsuit is against Patterson. Also, the complaint failed to list, Melissa Gorga, as a landlord even though she’s named in the lease.
The judge agreed with Patterson’s attorney, stating that in landlord-tenant cases the “proper tenants” need to be named in the complaint. The judge then allowed the Gorga’s attorney to make a motion to amend his client’s complaint to include Melissa Gorga as a landlord on the property and Bounty Alert as the tenant.
As of current, Kai Patterson gets to remain in the Gorga’s Montville mansion until the judge rules otherwise. The next court date is scheduled for August 15th. Stay tuned for updates as the battle rages on.
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Nancy Zhāng is an Entertainment Blogger for All About The Tea. Nancy covers hot topics, recaps and celeb news. She loves to multi-task as a writer and a private chef. She received a B.S. in Mass Communications from LSU. Nancy’s married and the proud mom of 2 German Shepherds.