Basketball Suit No Longer in Leo's Court
Ash Knotek/Snappers/ZUMA Press
The best defense isn't just a good offense—it's also a good lawyer.
Leonardo DiCaprio has settled his long-pending lawsuit filed by some land-loving neighbors, who claimed that a B-ball court the actor built on his Hollywood Hills property destabilized their own prized piece of real estate.
The specifics of the settlement were not disclosed, save for court documents revealing that the resolution was conditional on amicable "specified terms."
Ronald and Joan Linclau are expected to request a formal dismissal of their suit by Sept. 21.
The couple filed their $250,000 suit against DiCaprio and his cousin Robert Hrtica, the trustee of the estate, back in 2007, alleging trespass, nuisance and negligence.
The Linclaus claimed that when DiCaprio and cousin decided to hoop it up in 2004, the construction undermined a slope that was adjacent to the Linclaus' property and weakened the foundation of their swimming pool, posing a potential (wet) threat to their home. They also claimed portions of their land were excavated without their permission, that several of their plants were removed and that DiCaprio ignored their requests to stop building.
Last March, the judge in the case gave the Linclaus the greenlight to go forward with the suit, further expanding the potential payout from DiCaprio by stating that the couple had grounds to seek punitive damages from the actor.
In April, he suffered a further blow, with the judge ruling the contractor DiCaprio hired for the job would not have to share in the cost of any judgment made against the actor.
For his part, DiCaprio filed a cross-complaint against the Linclaus', and several of the independent contractors hired for the job had pending cross-claims against each other.
The case was originally scheduled to go to trial on July 21.
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