AriZona Iced Tea billionaire allegedly promised – Business News
AriZona Iced Tea co-founder John Ferolito is battling his longtime masseuse over an $820,000 Florida home she claims he promised to present her — and a call that was secretly recorded on a Ring doorbell has develop into a key bone of rivalry within the case.
Over their decades-long relationship, Ferolito showered Fayssanya “Fay” Pratt and her household with different expensive perks, in response to courtroom filings and interviews — together with shopping for a car for her mom, paying off the mortgage on one of Pratt’s different properties and overlaying tutoring payments for her youngsters.
One of Ferolito’s longtime aides stated in a sworn affidavit that he additionally picked up the tab for the household’s ongoing dental payments, “numerous family vacations” and visits to the Hard Rock Casino and Turnberry.
Fayssanya “Fay” Pratt, left, labored for AriZona Iced Tea co-founder John Ferolito for roughly 23 years as a therapeutic massage therapist and personal assistant. The two are actually locked in a courtroom battle over a Coral Springs, Fla., home Pratt says Ferolito promised to present her — a declare he denies. Courtesy of Fay Pratt
Ferolito himself says within the affidavit he handed Pratt $180,000 to open an investment account and taught her how to invest — money he claims finally grew to more than $600,000.
Pratt individually instructed Atlanta Black Star that Ferolito as soon as purchased her a new Chevrolet Tahoe after calling her previous car a “clunker” and paid for her son’s braces after noticing his crooked tooth.
But Ferolito, 76, insists the Coral Springs home was one reward he by no means made — whilst he acknowledges showering Pratt and her household with different expensive advantages over time.
Pratt, who labored for Ferolito for roughly 23 years as a therapeutic massage therapist and personal assistant, says the home was promised to her — and claims one of his high aides acknowledged as a lot whereas firing her in September 2022.
“That was the boss again, and he has asked me to let you go,” government assistant Kelly Aldrich stated, in response to a transcript of a telephone call cited by Atlanta Black Star.
“He said that we will sign the house over to you and pay for whatever he’s been doing for the rest of the year.”
In different phrases, Pratt claims Aldrich was telling her that Ferolito was firing her however would nonetheless switch the home to her and proceed the financial assist he had been offering by way of the top of 2022.
The secretly captured dialog might develop into a main flashpoint within the bitter Broward County courtroom battle.
Fayssanya “Fay” Pratt’s youngsters have lived together with her within the Coral Springs, Fla., home on the middle of her legal battle with AriZona Iced Tea co-founder John Ferolito. Courtesy of Fay Pratt
Ferolito’s legal professionals contend Pratt recorded Aldrich on her Ring doorbell system with out Aldrich’s information or consent and argue the recording, its transcript and something derived from it are inadmissible underneath Florida law.
“Stripped of the recording and its fruits, Pratt is left with her own affidavit and deposition testimony,” Ferolito’s legal professionals argued in a Sept. 14 movement for abstract judgment.
Ferolito claims the property was as an alternative purchased as an investment and that Pratt and her household had been allowed to reside there solely whereas she labored for him.
His legal professionals have produced an unsigned April 2018 lease naming Ferolito as landlord and Pratt as tenant, setting rent at $1 a month and requiring her to pay property taxes and upkeep.
Pratt says that was by no means their deal.
But Ferolito’s facet factors to an April 2022 textual content by which Pratt allegedly requested Ron Cohen, Ferolito’s chief financial officer, to “confirm with BOSS that I did sign the lease agreement years ago before we moved in.”
They additionally cite cashier’s checks Pratt allegedly used to reimburse property taxes that had been marked “2019 RENT,” “Rent 2020,” “PARTIAL RENT YEAR 2021” and “COMPLETED RENT FOR PAYMENT 2021.”
Pratt instructed Atlanta Black Star she labeled the checks that approach as a result of Ferolito instructed her to.
“I never really understood why,” she stated.
The two sides additionally disagree over who paid for enhancements to the home.
Pratt claims she spent close to $100,000 on taxes, repairs, home equipment and renovations.
An accountant for Ferolito’s trust claims the trust itself spent $184,613.46 on upkeep, repairs and enhancements, excluding the acquisition price.
The relationship blew up in 2022 after a dispute over roughly $33,000 in landscaping work on the home, in response to Pratt.
AriZona Iced Tea co-founder John Ferolito is in search of to eject former longtime worker Fayssanya “Fay” Pratt from a Coral Springs home she claims he purchased for her and promised to deed over. sheilaf2002 – stock.adobe.com
She says Cohen accused her of taking benefit of Ferolito during a heated telephone call.
Pratt has additionally accused Cohen in courtroom papers of making sexually express feedback and inappropriately touching her during her employment.
Those allegations haven’t been adjudicated, and Atlanta Black Star reported that the decide dismissed the sexual harassment claims from this case and barred them from being introduced to the jury.
Aldrich fired Pratt on Sept. 7, 2022 — the identical call by which Pratt says Aldrich instructed her the home would nonetheless be signed over.
Aldrich has since stated she has “no independent recollection” of making that promise.
Cohen claims he by no means heard Ferolito promise Pratt the home, and former Ferolito lawyer David Buss says he knew of no such settlement.
Buss claims that in September 2023 Pratt as an alternative requested whether or not she might buy the property and provided to return the UBS investment account Ferolito had given her in exchange for title.
Pratt disputes that account, claiming Buss was the one who proposed that she use the investment account and financing to buy a home she believed had already been promised to her.
Ferolito is now asking Judge Jeffrey Levenson to throw out Pratt’s counterclaims and order her out of the property.
Pratt needs the courtroom to power him to switch the home to her or compensate her for what she says she spent and offered in reliance on his promise.
The property the place Fay Pratt and her household reside is proven in Coral Springs, Fla. The home is the main target of a civil lawsuit Pratt filed in opposition to her former employer, AriZona Iced Tea billionaire John M. Ferolito. Google Maps
Despite the bitter battle, Pratt instructed Atlanta Black Star that their July deposition ended on an oddly tender be aware.
She stated Ferolito slid her a chocolate and winked. She slid him back a Werther’s caramel.
“We shouldn’t be here,” she says he instructed her.
“I know,” Pratt stated she replied.
A listening to on Ferolito’s movement for abstract judgment is scheduled for Nov. 23.
The Post has sought remark from Pratt, Ferolito and Cohen.
