SANTA MONICA (CNS) - Sofia Vergara and her business partner want a judge to order arbitration of a breach-of-contract lawsuit filed by contractors who renovated her Los Angeles mansion and allege they are owed more than $1.7 million.
Attorneys for the 51-year-old former "Modern Family" star and Luis Balaguer, CEO and founder of Latin World Entertainment, filed court papers Friday with Santa Monica Superior Court Judge Lisa Sepe-Wiesenfeld asking that she direct Reside Custom Homes to have their claims settled before an arbitrator rather than a jury. Balaguer is a co-owner of the home.
"Reside is required to arbitrate all of its claims pursuant to the (work) agreement," the Vergara-Balaguer lawyers maintain in their court papers while also arguing that the contractor overcharged and did poor work, causing delays, needed repairs and additional costs of millions of dollars.
"Reside has the temerity to claim that it is owed approximately $1.7 million more for work performed at the property, based on alleged invoices that ignore Reside's conduct, including its responsibility for the issues set forth above," the Vergara-Balaguer attorneys state. "It is unfathomable that Reside would assert such an inflated claim ..."
However, the contractor maintains in the suit brought Nov. 27 that Vergara did not pay two bills with dates of March and July 2023 for additional work done on the home totaling $1.7 million after the first phase of improvements were completed in December 2022. The actress bought the home in 2020 and was married to ex-husband Joe Manganiello at the time.
Reside filed its own motion to compel arbitration on Nov. 28. Hearings on the motions are scheduled for Feb. 29 and May 21.