American singer Katy Perry won Friday the right to buy a former convent in Los Angeles. The place was also coveted by a businesswoman who wanted to make it a luxury hotel.
The judge granted $ 1.57 million to Katy Perry and $ 3.47 million to the archdiocese to cover legal fees, amounts deemed exaggerated by the defense of the businesswoman, Dana Hollister.
The 32-year-old singer paid 10 million for the former convent, plus 4.5 million to build a new place of prayer elsewhere.
The archdiocese had sold the property, currently empty, but two nuns had made a deal with Dana Hollister, owner of several restaurants in Los Angeles.
Friday, after a day of deliberation, the jury felt that Dana Hollister had interfered in the sale to Katy Perry, including wrongly claiming to be already holder of the title. Already last year, a judge had invalidated the bill of sale to Hollister, who was planning to turn the former convent into a chic hotel. In December, a new trial will be held to decide on possible damages.
