Another Park West Law Suit

Mike Martindale of the Detroit News is reporting there has been a class action law suit filed against Park West Gallery. This lawsuit is a Federal class action suit filed by two New Yorkers who purchased art from Park West in 2002 and 2004 for around $25,000.00. According to the report, they later tried to sell some of the art to over 40 galleries and received no offers. Park West is vigorously defending against these lawsuits, but they seem to keep coming.

Martindale reports The art gallery released a statement on Friday saying, "In our 40-year history, Park West has never sold a non-authentic work of art."

The lawsuit claims the auctions are part of racketeering activity in which participants engage in a fraudulent scheme to auction "low-value, forged or worthless artwork" and sell "phony" appraisals to support the value of the art.

"We intend to vigorously pursue this case," said attorney E. Powell Miller, who filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Detroit this week.

The gallery has been in business for 40 years and has held auctions on eight cruise lines and 80 ships, featuring works of Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso and Rembrandt, according to the lawsuit.

Earlier this year, The Detroit News reported similar lawsuits and allegations filed in Oakland Circuit Court and elsewhere, and how Park West adamantly denied any wrongdoing.

The Oakland Circuit Court case, which lists eight defendants who claim Park West sold them nearly $600,000 in fraudulent artwork, is pending.

To read the full Detroit News report, click HERE.