Kevin Spacey accused of trying to ‘extort’ $100K to move out of Baltimore home which was bought by real estate investor
Kevin Spacey has been accused of demanding $100,000 to move out of his Baltimore home, although it was sold to someone else.
It has been reported that Kevin Spacey is demanding $100,000 to move out of his Baltimore home, although it was sold to someone else. Back in July, Spacey’s 9,000-square-foot, five-floor condo in a gated community was foreclosed on and auctioned off. This happened after the actor fell behind in payments because he had no work following #MeToo accusations.
Real estate investor Sam Asgari (no relation to Britney Spears’ ex-husband Sam Asghari) reportedly purchased the property for $3.24 million. He has now accused Spacey of “extorting” money from him. “He asked me for $100,000 to leave the property on November 17 and I said no but he said that was his final offer,” Asgari told New York Post. “He’s saying I’m bullying him to play the sympathy card. He wants to use the negative publicity to paint himself as the victim. Well, I don’t plan to be a victim of his.”
Asgari added, “We’re going to fight and we’re fight him legally. If he overstays I will sue him for every day he’s stayed.”
‘He’s not giving any reason for why he won’t leave’
Asgari revealed that he already has to pay $40,000 a month for the homeowners fees, taxes, utility bills and other charges. Spacey reportedly tried to block the original sale of the property last week. He paid $5.65 million for the home in 2017.
Emails in the court filings showed that Asgari had offered to pay Spacey $50,000 if he moved out by September 15. Spacey’s camp has said that he could stay until February as long as he did not interfere with the sale. Spacey has accused Asgari of “bullying” him and trying to force him out of the home.
Asgari and his broker are allegedlt not allowed to get past the gatehouse to access the property. Asgari’s associate, Compass real estate broker Sam Sheibani, said that even though they have tried to remain cordial, Spacey isn’t.
“He’s not giving any reason for why he won’t leave, like he’s homeless or something,” Sheibani said.” It’s really odd. On what planet is it OK for you to hold someone’s property and demand crazy money if they want to get it back? It really feels like extortion now, like he’s holding onto the property for ransom.”
Legally, however, Spacey is not squatting. Following a foreclosure auction, the court has to approve the sale before the highest bidder officially signs the deed. This process can take several months. During this time, the former homeowner can stay at the property. A buyer, however, can offer a payoff for the ex-homeowner to leave quickly – known as a ‘cash-for-keys’ offer.