The husband of the late girlfriend of Jim Carrey has revised his lawsuit in which he seeks a return of what remains of a security deposit the woman made on a Sherman Oaks home she rented just months before her suicide.
The estate of Cathriona White and her husband, Mark Burton, are now alleging breach of contract instead of seeking restitution from landlord Mally Azarmipur.
The amended complaint was filed after Los Angeles Superior Court Judge David Sotelo ruled Dec. 5 that the restitution claim would have to be shored up for it to remain part of the lawsuit, which also alleges Azarmipur was obligated to provide the plaintiffs an itemized statement regarding the disposition of the $9,200 security deposit and return any funds due within 21 days after the premises are vacated.
The amended lawsuit continues to seek a return of the entire security deposit, plus $18,400 in statutory damages, for a total of $27,600.
According to the lawsuit, White leased the property in May 2015 and lived there until her death from a drug overdose four months later. In addition to the security deposit, she paid $4,600 a month in rent, the suit states.
Burton contacted Azarmipur in November 2015 asking about the security deposit and the landlord said it would not be returned, according to the complaint.
An attorney who previously represented Azarmipur stated in his court papers that Burton did not have standing to sue. The lawyer also maintained that his client did not have to provide an itemized statement to Burton within 21 days of the property being vacated because 226 days remained before expiration of the lease term.
Azarmipur’s current lawyer could not be immediately reached.
Both Burton and White’s mother, Brigid Sweetman, filed separate lawsuits this year against Carrey blaming the actor for White’s fatal overdose.
Carrey and White, a hair and makeup artist, had dated off and on since 2012 while she was still married.
— City News Service