UPDATED, 11:36 a.m., Aug. 18: A years-long saga between rival auction houses took another turn on Wednesday.
The Third District Court of Appeal reversed a lower court ruling in favor of Miami-based Platinum Luxury Auctions LLC, led by Trayor Lesnock.
Concierge Auctions LLC, a New York-based auction house, previously alleged that Platinum sabotaged its rival’s $7.5 million deal and defamed Concierge principal Chad Roffers, according to the Daily Business Review. A lower court had ruled in favor of Concierge, ordering Platinum to remove a disparaging post about Concierge in a January 2014 article after both parties had settled. The court ruled to enforce the settlement agreement.
On Wednesday, a Third DCA judge found that an online comment created by Lesnock preceded their agreement and was not part of the settlement, the Daily Business Review reported.
Among the previous allegations? Concierge charged that Platinum sent 17 “Federal Express sabotage packages” to clients, brokers and media contacts that included articles and disparaging comments about Roffers. Lesnock even admitted to using a pseudonym to post negative comments online.
Attorney Ryan H. Lehrer, who represents Platinum Luxury Auctions, said the court’s decision this week “had nothing to do with the unproven and contested allegations in the lawsuit filed by Concierge Auctions LLC; rather, the opinion solely concentrated on the fact that Platinum Luxury Auctions had not breached the parties’ settlement agreement and the fact that Concierge Auctions LLC had wrongfully attempted to insert additional terms into that agreement that did not exist.”
Lehrer said the motion to enforce the settlement agreement filed by Concierge “years after the lawsuit settled was just the latest attempt by that entity to harass Platinum Luxury Auctions with meritless accusations and legal filings.”
Both auction houses have been active in South Florida. [Daily Business Review] – Katherine Kallergis
An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that the Third DCA ruled in favor of Concierge Auctions on Wednesday. It ruled in favor of Platinum Luxury Auctions.