Judge Sides With Rihanna in Home Lawsuit

Rihanna won a round in court Thursday when a judge set in motion a possible default judgment against a former co-owner of a Beverly Hills house the entertainer bought for $6.9 million in 2009 and was found to have construction defects.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Yvette Palazuelos took the action after Heather Rudomin failed to appear in court as ordered for a hearing in the "Only Girl" singer's lawsuit for the third straight time. The judge said she would not enter a final judgment against the woman until after the trial, which is scheduled for Feb. 24, 2014.

The lawsuit was filed in August 2011 against Prudential California Realty and several other defendants, including Rudomin and her husband, Adrian, subcontractor Richard Williams and the company that helped the Rudomins renovate the home in 2007 08, Landmark Design Group LLC.

The 25-year-old singer, whose full name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty, says the home had water leaks and was flooded in a January 2010 storm.

Palazuelos dismissed a previous order in which she tentatively issued $500 in sanctions against the Rudomins for failing to appear for previous hearings. In addition to today, Adrian Rudomin showed up in court as ordered March 12, but his wife did not.

Adrian Rudomin told Palazuelos that his spouse was ill and could not appear today. But Rihanna's attorney, Miles Cooley, was skeptical and said the couple has frustrated attempts to get the case moving.

"The Rudomins are not responding to discovery and at a certain point the excuses need to stop,'' Cooley said.

Cooley said he will be serving a notice on Adrian Rudomin to appear for a deposition and then try and persuade the couple to participate in mediation.

In taking the action against Heather Rudomin that could lead to a default judgment, Palazuelos said she has not seen any proof of the woman's illness other than what her husband says. The judge said she would at the very least need a sworn declaration from Heather Rudomin or her doctor.

Palazuelos gave the two sides time to try to resolve the case with the help of a mediator, setting a deadline for completion of July 10.

Cooley says that Rihanna relied on the Rudomins' representations concerning the home throughout the transaction. The singer has since moved. She owns a home off Sunset Boulevard in Pacific Palisades that was recently "swatted," or swarmed by a police SWAT team based on a false report of a crime there.

Adrian Rudomin said before Thursday's hearing that he was not aware when he and his wife sold the home that Rihanna was the buyer.

Related story: 

• Pacific Palisades Neighbors Say They Do Not Want Rihanna in Town

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