Thank you Keysfins. I do understand what the plaintift is saying, but is this speculation on their part? Is this the scenario that the lawyers have stated or do they have proof that these things did happen? I am guessing it is conjecture and is the typical reason why these “deals” settle out of court and continue to be profitable.
If AT is filing a suit, and wants a jury trial, I would think that there is factual information to present.
I don’t know what that might be, but I can imagine that perhaps AT had contact with Peter Eeckman about the horse or the transaction. Or maybe with Ots, since he was previously a partner with CR, and AT previously had two other horses that were sold by CR.
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Rate My Horse Pro has the filing documents:
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You would think the FBI would be interested since this crossed state lines. And as someone mentioned previously, the IRS should be very interested as to who claimed the $600K profit on their tax return!
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One thing I noticed when reading the complaint that will have to be filled out with discovery is there is no dating for the transaction to the Peslar entities.
Didn’t Ben Maher (show jumper) do something quite similar last year?
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In the filing under Count VIII, I think it is very significant that AT “seeks to pierce the corporate veil of Lionshare”. AT states Lionshare LLC and RC are one and the same, and RC is liable for the debts of Lionshare. To my reading, the points made in the filing regarding this nullify any LLC claim by RC/Lionshare.
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It could be that since Ots claimed that he had acted as the defendant told him too (as described in the complaint), he had no knowledge that AJ was the true seller, and no knowledge of the scheme. The plaintiff attorneys must have thought his story was credible.
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That’s something I had not thought of, and makes sense,
Or did Ots provide info in exchange for not being named in the complaint?
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That was my thought. (Though I will admit I do not know any of these people.)
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And this:
“Roffman advised plaintiff to sell Fabrege to Peter at that price,” the suit stated. “She also represented that Fabrege’s canter and tempis reduced the value and, as a result, $500,000 would be difficult if not impossible to attain.”
If they can prove CR was advising AT that the horse was worth less it really is fraud and not just a profitable, if complicated flip.
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It’s my understanding that “piercing the veil” is really essential. Otherwise, as a LLC couldn’t lion share just claim bankruptcy?
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Wasn’t there some other scandal with Caroline Roffman over her position on the team? I can’t quite remember what it was. I think she tried to sue the team because she did not get a spot on it with the mare she rode. She then sold the mare for a ton of money.
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I have been told (by someone else that was in Europe with the team at the time), [edit]. Then Steffen got seriously sick with pneumonia so his wife Sharon had to fly over to ride his horses. While Caroline had better scores, she was not named to the team. The feeling at that time was that she was young and would be a disruptive rather than unifying force.
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This is starting to sound like a Jilly Cooper novel.
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Welcome to Wellington! 
There was that Cooper-esque showjumping novel that took place in Wellington. “In and Out”? There needs to be a dressage one I guess!
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Lord. No wonder people think horse pros are cray cray.
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I wonder if she got stiffed on the sale of her other two horses as well.
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The documents filed say that on/about Oct 12, 2015 they entered into a sales contract,
The horse then had to be shipped to Wellington Fl. (Arranging and transporting from the northeast to south Florida normally doesn’t happen overnight)
By Nov 2, 2015 ( 21 days after parties entered sales contract) CR says she has a $300,000 offer on the horse, (but really has a $900,000 offer in the works under the table.)
That is fast, fast, work. That to me says someone is very experienced at this, and I’d be filing to subpoena all cell phone records ASAP.
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however bad it looks- best to let the court process play out. That is what the courts are for.
Some here seem to believe that all pleadings by the plaintiff = proven facts.
Sure they MAY be facts- and this MAY well be a horrible horrible person.
I dont know!
We dont know and cannot know that for sure until the evidence is tested in court.
I distrust this sort of trial by internet.gak
I am ready to be outraged but will save my outrage until the facts are out- there is no rush, is there
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Here’s the general (public, I don’t know anything of other rumors) explanation as to what happened:
http://dressage-news.com/2014/08/15/…eam-selection/
I think the gist was Adrienne Lyle had been more consistent while Caroline seemed be heading into a bit of slump (the scores are at the bottom of the article), but when the scores were averaged as laid out in the selection criteria Caroline was ever so slightly above Adrienne. I’ve never been much of a CR fan, but it seems understandable to be upset when you qualify via the published criteria but are then are asked to step down. I’m fairly sure there was a whole long COTH thread about it at the time.
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