LOS ANGELES — They say you can’t judge a book by its cover, and now it seems you also can’t judge a mansion’s interior from its exterior — or so claims X-Art in a lawsuit over a shooting location that allegedly did not measure up to expectations.
TMZ Sports is reporting that X-Art’s Colette and Brigham Field are suing NBA star Chris Bosh of The Miami Heat, along with his wife, after renting the couple’s seemingly elegant retreat in the Pacific Palisades late last year — a mansion, the suit claims, which was literally full of rat feces, toxic mold, plumbing problems, and plagued by poor internet access.
The Fields rented the nearly 11,000 square foot mansion for $138,000, which included $46k for the first month’s rent along with a $92k security deposit.
After moving in, however, the claimed condition of the property caused the Fields “to seek medical assistance for sickness and rashes that they suffered from the time when the mold could be seen and smelled,” and to file a lawsuit in L.A. County Superior Court seeking the return of their security deposit, which the Boshes refused to refund. The awarding of unspecified damages is also sought.
Since the Fields left, others have reportedly stayed in the home.
The takeaway for location scouts is to make a thorough examination of every property prior to paying because sometimes, beauty is only skin deep.