The legal team of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Erika Jayne‘s estranged husband, Thomas Girardi, has filed court documents in hopes of preventing the sale of certain items currently located at their former marital home in Pasadena, California.
After a judge signed off on the September 21, 2022, auction of the couple’s home furnishings and other personal belongings, including their “Steinway piano, religious icons, statues, lamps, rugs, ceramics, glassware, clothing and shoes, and sports memorabilia,” which are expected to bring up to $280,000, Thomas’ conservator, Robert Girard, attempted to save some of his property.
According to court documents obtained by Radar Online on July 19, Robert filed an exempt in which he requested certain items, including $5,000 worth of patio furniture, a $500 metal planter, a $2,000 bedroom set, a rug, and several other pieces, not be sold off.
Robert’s filing also listed his and Erika’s piano, but he said he didn’t feel the entire amount should be exempt.
Erika moved out of the home, which is currently listed for $7.5 million, in late 2020, taking only a few pieces of furniture after filing for divorce. And a short time later, as his creditors forced him into bankruptcy, Thomas was diagnosed with dementia and relocated to a senior assisted living facility.
According to a second report from KFI AM 640, Erika’s attorneys filed documents of their own on Monday in regard to another issue: A July 28 deposition, where she’s expected to be questioned by the attorneys of Philip R. Sheldon and Robert P. Finn, who claim to have worked with Thomas and his now-defunct law firm, Girardi Keese, on a toxic chemicals case, which was settled for $31 million.
In December 2020, the attorneys sued her, Thomas, and Thomas’ firm, alleging that they were stiffed the money they were owed for their work on the case — and suggesting Erika was in the know and benefitting from their loss as they sought $900,00 in damages.
In the court papers filed by Erika’s attorneys, who want one claim against her dismissed from a hearing set for August 26, they say the attorneys’ suit against Erika and the other parties doesn’t specifically state whether the agreement between them was written or verbal, and they note that Erika had nothing to do with it.
“I was completely unaware of, did not participate in and did not provide any assistance of any nature regarding any conduct or scheme by anyone – – including Girardi & Keese and Tom Girardi — with the object or goal of harming plaintiffs or depriving plaintiffs of money that plaintiffs claimed was due to them,” Erika said in a statement in support of the motion for dismissal.