Did Mauricio Umansky dupe client? 'RHOBH' star Kyle Richards' husband sued for $35M by prospective buyer
MALIBU, CALIFORNIA: In December 2015, Mauricio Umansky obtained $32.5 million for the sale of a sizable property in Malibu. Seven years later, 'Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' star Kyle Richards' husband is still embroiled in a contentious legal dispute over the transaction, during which he was charged with deceiving a prospective buyer.
After Umansky's working relationship with the buyer, Mauricio Oberfeld, was revealed following the property's March 2017 flip for a staggering $69.9 million, Sam Hakim, who had been coveting the Malibu estate for years, and his broker, Aitan Segal, lodged continuing lawsuits against him. The Los Angeles Times reported on December 12 that after the government took ownership of the property and classified it for sale with Umansky's assistance in May 2015, he supposedly ignored Sam's offer, which was facilitated by Aitan, in favor of an offer from Oberfeld. "We have litigated many broker misconduct cases involving ultra-luxury residential properties in Southern California but have never encountered a case as unique and egregious as this one involving Mr Umansky," Sam's attorneys, Jennifer Shakouri and Alan Hearty, said in a statement to LA Times. Despite the fact that Aitan and Sam knew Umansky before the deal and trusted the realtor, they think he violated their rights, and Sam is seeking at least $35 million in damages in their merged litigation against him.