HARTFORD, Conn. — Rapper 50 Cent has settled his lawsuit against an engineering firm over repairs and renovations to a Connecticut mansion he bought from boxer Mike Tyson in 2003, a court official said Friday.
HARTFORD, Conn. — Rapper 50 Cent has settled his lawsuit against an engineering firm over repairs and renovations to a Connecticut mansion he bought from boxer Mike Tyson in 2003, a court official said Friday. Details of the settlement, confirmed by Linda Cohn, deputy chief clerk at Hartford Superior Court, were not released. The rapper’s lawyer, Michael Feldman, declined to comment. A message was left for an attorney for the firm, BVH Integrated Services of Bloomfield. The case went to trial Tuesday, and the entertainer testified his lawyers hired the firm to inspect the property before he bought it. He said that BVH came back with an estimate of about $500,000 for needed repairs but that he ended up spending $6 million. Lawyers said that about $3 million of that was spent on maintenance repairs that should have been included in the firm’s estimate and that the rest was spent on additional improvements. BVH’s lawyer, Michael Byrne, has disputed 50 Cent’s allegations, saying his client shouldn’t be liable for the difference because 50 Cent wanted "extravagant and costly upgrades." The firm was to make a visual inspection to determine how much it would cost to repair the roof, decks, driveway and other aspects of the property. A contractor hired by BVH to conduct the 2003 inspection, John Wilcox Jr., testified Tuesday that there was no intention to provide an inaccurate estimate, and he wasn’t given enough time to do a comprehensive review. He also said the mansion was built with inexpensive materials. 50 Cent, also known as Curtis Jackson, sued in 2006. He put the mansion up for sale in 2007 for $18.5 million and allowed the MTV show "Cribs" to film an episode to show off the details of the 19-bedroom, 37-bathroom property. The home includes a recording studio and a nightclub that features a swing dangling from the ceiling. There were no buyers, and 50 Cent said Tuesday that the house is no longer for sale. Tyson bought the estate for $2.8 million in 1996 from Colonial Realty founder Benjamin Sisti, who was sent to prison for nine years for fraud after Colonial went bankrupt in 1990 and investors lost more than $350 million. ______ 50 Cent, also known as Curtis Jackson, takes the stand at Superior Court in Hartford, Conn., Tuesday, June 2, 2009, as he testified in a lawsuit against his home inspector. (AP Photo/Bob Child, Pool) Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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