‘Sour Grapes’
Voskerician’s lawyer, David Draper, called the lawsuit “sour grapes.” He said the Koris weren’t able to close a deal with Zuckerberg because he initially wasn’t interested.
When the Koris signed a contract with Voskerician in 2012, they got $400,000 more than their asking price.
In 2013, a firm that handles Zuckerberg’s finances, Iconiq Capital LLC, snapped up three other properties surrounding his home, buying one for $10.5 million, another for $14 million and a third for $14.5 million, according to the Santa Clara County tax assessor’s office.
“The Koris bring this lawsuit because they are unhappy that they sold their property a year before the Zuckerbergs paid three of their old neighbors $38.5 million for the neighborhood,” Draper said in a phone interview. “We have documented evidence that shows that what they are saying about Mr. Voskerician is not true and they know it.”
Alain Pinel
Derk Brill, a real estate agent at Alain Pinel who represented the Koris and is named as a defendant in their lawsuit, didn’t respond to a phone call Monday seeking comment on it.
Zuckerberg’s lawyer, Patrick Gunn, didn’t immediately respond to an e-mail seeking comment on the Kori lawsuit.
Zuckerberg’s attorneys have said in court filings that the developer employed “extortive” tactics to profit from the billionaire’s desire for privacy. Zuckerberg has denied claims that he broke his word on introducing Voskerician to contacts in Silicon Valley.
The Koris’ case is Kori v. Alain Pinel Realtors Inc., 115cv279192, California Superior Court, Santa Clara County (San Jose). The Zuckerberg case is Voskerician v. Zuckerberg, 114CV264667, Superior Court of the California, County of Santa Clara (San Jose).