Former LA Ram sues broker over alleged losses in home auction

Mark Barron, former linebacker for the L.A. Rams, alleges that he was the victim of a trick play in the auction sale of his home in the San Fernando Valley suburb of Chatsworth.

Barron filed a lawsuit earlier this month alleging that Toni Patillo, a broker affiliated with R&LS Investments, committed “fraud and misconduct” in the sale of the 7,500-square-foot mansion at 22510 La Quilla Drive. 

R&LS does business as Keller Williams Realty Santa Monica, according to the complaint. It also works with DBAs such as KW Advisors, according to its profile on the California Department of Real Estate website.

The auction in July 2020 ended with a winning bid for $2 million, or half of the $4 million target price that Patillo told Barron the house could sell for, the suit alleges. 

According to the complaint, Barron contacted Patillo, an acquaintance, in early 2020 to handle the sale of his luxury home, nicknamed Chateau Loire, which is based on about 2 acres of land. The suit also alleges that Patillo was seeking to do business with auctioneer Heritage Luxury Auction Properties. In mid-March 2020, Patillo recommended that Barron sell his property through auction. The suit alleges that Patillo and R & LS ceded marketing and sales tasks to the auction house and the defendants “abdicated” their responsibilities for the sale. It also alleges that Patillo had never sold a house through an auction, but she didn’t disclose this to Barron.

The complaint alleges that Patillo disregarded “red flags” that the auction “was on shaky ground” and potentially should be terminated in favor of another sales channel. In one case, a potential buyer contacted the agent about buying the house outside of the auction, but Patillo “failed to engage in discussions or follow up with this potential buyer,” according to the suit.

The auction in July 2020 yielded five bids on Barron’s house, ranging from $50,000 to $1.3 million. One bidder agreed to increase the bid from $1 million to $2 million, and that became the highest and winning offer.

“Following the auction, it was also discovered that Patillo had, in another showing of complete and utter incompetence, failed to check off the appropriate box on the auction documentation and provide a list of items not included in the sale and, thus, all furniture and furnishings were included with the sale of the property which resulted in an additional loss of approximately $100,000 to plaintiff,” the lawsuit states.

Barron’s law firm, Costell & Addison, filed the suit in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court’s Central District in L.A. because the brokerage R&LS Investments filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in July 2023. Barron, as a creditor, asks the court to deny discharge of debt for R&LS. The suit alleges the firm and Patillo committed an “intentional and willful fraud and misconduct and fraud while acting in a fiduciary capacity.” Barron requests damages of $2.1 million, as well as attorneys fees and punitive damages.

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Patillo and lawyers representing R&LS did not return requests for comment. 

Barron played football at Alabama and was drafted in 2012 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He started playing for the St. Louis Rams the following year and came with the team to Los Angeles in 2016. He parted ways with the Rams in 2018 and played the next year for the Pittsburgh Steelers.