Property deal gets mired in lawsuit after buyer accuses seller of fraud

DONALDSONVILLE – An Ascension Parish company is suing another local company over a piece of property they say should have been included in a real estate deal.

AS Brothers, LLC filed suit on Dec. 7, 2011 in the 23rd Judicial District Court against Lawco Industrial Machine Works.

The plaintiff claims Lawco withheld a piece of land that should have been included in a property sale of 3047 S. Burnside in Gonzales that was completed in August 2011.

AS Brothers claims a survey of the piece of property to be sold included a building and property, but the defendants say the representative map delineated a 22.59-acre piece property that they did not intend to sell as part of the deal.

The plaintiff closed the deal for $620,000, but are now being asked to pay an additional $150,000 for the additional property they maintain should have been included in the deal. AS Brothers claims the price now demanded by LAWCO would be $100,000 greater than the appraised value of the entire property.

AS Brothers is seeking the property in full for the originally agreed upon price or an unspecified amount in damages for time lost, loss of opportunity and breach of contract should the defendant not to choose to cancel the original deal. The plaintiff is also asserting that a simple return of their $10,000 deposit and cancellation of the contract would be insufficient because the Lawco should be found guilty of negligence.

AS Brothers is being represented by New Orleans attorney Al J. Robert.

The case has been assigned to Division D Judge John L. Peytavin.

Case number 102064