Opulence International Realty and its former agent Tomi Rose are in a legal fight over an alleged $96,000 loan, court documents show.
Rose, who joined Opulence at the end of 2013 as vice president of the firm’s sports and entertainment division, left the company last year shortly before it was acquired by Brown Harris Stevens. She joined Douglas Elliman in September, according to documents filed with the state’s department of business and professional regulation.
Opulence filed a lawsuit against Rose in February, alleging she “refused to repay” about $96,000 that Opulence loaned her for marketing, travel and other expenses over the nearly four years she worked for the brokerage. The suit, filed in Miami-Dade County Circuit Court, alleges that Rose agreed to repay any money she owed Opulence if and when she left the company.
She also “periodically repaid advances made by [Opulence]” through commissions, according to the suit.
Opulence is suing for unjust enrichment and breach of contract.
Rose, meanwhile, is fighting back. She filed a separate lawsuit in February, alleging that several of the marketing costs that Opulence is trying to collect were not incurred by her; that she is owed commissions, including those from sales her mentees closed; and that the terms of the agreement between Opulence and Rose did not call for immediate repayment.
Rose declined comment. Attorneys for Rose and Opulence could not immediately be reached for comment.
The lawsuits also shed light on commission splits. Opulence agreed to give Rose 85 percent of commissions for sales, leases and referral fees, according to the documents.
Last month, Opulence moved to consolidate the lawsuits into one.
Rose, who is married to ex-Miami Heat player Mark Strickland, is known for representing basketball star LeBron James in the $13.4 million sale of his Coconut Grove mansion in 2015.