8/19/2009

Gerald Peters Gallery Sued

The Courthouse News Services has a short piece on the Gerald Peters Gallery being sued by long time customer Norman Waitt. Waitt was founder of Gateway computers and is suing the gallery for breech of contract in the amount of $3.5 million. There are also rumors that Waitt is claiming the prices charged by Peters where grossly inflated. I am wondering if Waitt had the art appraised and then found he had not received value from his purchases. It will be an interesting case to observe.

The post is short, so I will take the liberty to post it in its entirety.

From Courthouse News Service

MANHATTAN (CN) - An art collector claims that in the course of spending $10 million with the Gerald Peters Gallery, they developed a deal in which he could "live with" art for a while to decide if he wanted to keep it, and if not, he could return it for a refund or "art of equivalent value." But after he spent $3.5 million on three pieces, Peters refused to take them back or exchange them, Norman Waitt claims in New York County Court.

Waitt says he paid $1.1 million for a work by Thomas Moran, $1.2 for a second piece by Moran, and $1.2 million on a work by Samuel Seymour. When he decided he didn't want them after all, Waitt days, Peters refused to take them back. He bought the Morans in 2007 and the Seymour in 2008.

Waitt wants his money back plus $1 million, alleging breach of contract and negligent misrepresentation. He sued the Gerald Peters Gallery, of East 78th Street, and Gerald Peters. Waitt is represented by Peter Stern with McLaughlin & Stern.

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