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FIRST ON FOX — The lawyer for alleged squatter Brett Flores has tried to reclaim the narrative about his shopper, telling Fox Information Digital that Flores was a part of a deal to assist the Landa household severely undercut the worth on their New York Metropolis dream house.
“The Landas have been shopping for the property from the property of Bernie Fernandez,” Dennis O’Sullivan, the lawyer representing Flores within the civil courtroom case, instructed Fox Information Digital. “The Landas have been in mattress with Brett, and so they requested Brett to stay on the property in order that the property promoting the property must supply a reduction to anyone shopping for.”
“After getting an unimaginable low cost, they turned on Brett and mentioned we’re not providing you with any cash, and so they picked up the place the property was in the midst of evicting Brett,” he added.
O’Sullivan mentioned the Landa household agreed to pay Flores $140,000 if he might keep within the house and assist drag the worth down for them. The house was initially listed for $2.69 million however closed at $2 million on Oct. 13, 2023, based on actual property web site Redfin.
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The Landa Household purchased the waterfront house with the intention that their sons dwell there and assist maintain their brother who has Down syndrome, particularly as soon as their dad and mom die, based on ABC 7.
Flores lived and labored within the house caring for Bernard Fernandez, 80, till Fernandez died on Jan. 12, 2023. Flores refused to depart, alleging Fernandez gave him permission to stay, based on Anthony Mordente, the lawyer for the Landa household.
O’Sullivan revealed that he had an hour-long video of a dialog between the Landa household and Flores explicitly discussing the deal and congratulating him on “delivering the property for such a low quantity.”
Fox Information Digital has not heard the recording and so couldn’t confirm the content material of the dialog. When requested why the recording had not surfaced sooner, O’Sullivan mentioned it had been held again as a part of “strategic selections,” more likely to be heard in subsequent courtroom appearances – the following of which is scheduled for April.
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“The primary dialog, he was at [Joseph Landa’s] headquarters in Astoria, Queens, the place the man is decorator. … Brett was in his firm for an hour – after January, clearly, after Bernie handed away – he received a tour of the man’s enterprise, and so they mentioned this idea of the place Brett sits tight, after which the Landas negotiate this unimaginable low cost,” O’Sullivan mentioned.
O’Sullivan mentioned that this info initially got here out in courtroom final week throughout a listening to for a harassment case between Flores and the Landa household, with the lawyer representing Flores in that case blurting out the knowledge in a second of frustration.
Joseph and Susana Landa spoke with Fox Information Digital by way of Zoom after information broke about their wrestle to evict Brett Flores. (Fox Information Digital)
When requested to answer the contemporary allegations, Daniel Landa, who has liaised with the information media on behalf of his household to rearrange interviews and reply to questions, instructed Fox Information Digital, “Hopefully, all of this can be settled at our subsequent courtroom date.”
When pursued for a follow-up as to which, if any, of the allegations they wished to refute, Daniel Landa replied, “We’re in litigation.”
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The Landa household beforehand instructed Fox Information Digital that they took over the house with the understanding they’d additionally must take over the authorized proceedings to evict Flores. Fernandez left his property to his nephew, and he went to courtroom a number of occasions with no ultimate treatment for the problem and finally put the house up on the market on July 24, 2023.
The ultimate closing worth for the house can be listed as $2 million on Zillow. The realtors concerned within the sale of the house didn’t reply to a Fox Information Digital inquiry in regards to the property.
Brett Flores speaks on the cellphone at Queens Legal Courtroom in New York Metropolis on March 18, 2024. (Probe-Media for Fox Information Digital)
O’Sullivan doesn’t dispute these details of the case, however he has revealed that the brand new twist within the story – which he repeatedly promised would “flip the narrative on its head” – is that the Landa household used Flores to undercut the worth and reneged on a $140,000 fee for his efforts, initially claiming he did not get the home all the way down to $2 million and making an attempt to push him to take lower than initially agreed.
The Landa household beforehand instructed Fox Information Digital that that they had provided to pay Flores the cash, going to courtroom with checkbook in hand – which O’Sullivan confirmed – however that Flores refused to simply accept the cash.
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O’Sullivan mentioned that by the point the household had caved and tried to pay the cash, the state of affairs had taken on a “defamation component” that exceeded the unique payment, describing how even representing Flores has introduced him private bother and that “individuals have a look at me in a different way.”
“They mentioned a variety of dangerous issues about him, broadcast all through america, broadcast in England … even [former HUD Secretary] Ben Carson was discussing the case on TV,” O’Sullivan mentioned.
He additionally revealed that the Landa household might personal at the least three houses apart from the one in query and all in the identical Douglaston neighborhood in Queens, having moved to a different house within the neighborhood after handing over their earlier house to their son.
O’Sullivan remains to be mulling if and when to permit his shopper to talk with the media instantly. When Fox Information Digital caught up with Flores after the dismissal of an assault cost introduced in opposition to him, he didn’t make any remark and even reply to questions.
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Flores filed for chapter in January, however as he doesn’t personal the home, it doesn’t issue into his property and he can proceed to dwell there whereas the keep of motion stays in place.
“We’re within the course of of getting the automated chapter keep lifted in order that we will return to courtroom and proceed with a trial,” Anthony Mordente, the lawyer for the Landa household, instructed Fox Information Digital this month. “I believe we’ll achieve success. I don’t have any motive why the chapter decide would have any motive to maintain the keep in impact.”
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