Florida’s Third District Court of Appeal ruled on August 16, 2017 that Platinum Luxury Auctions was innocent of the meritless accusations and the legal complaints made against it by Concierge Auctions. As a result of the ruling, Concierge was also ordered to pay Platinum’s legal fees related to the complaint, which amounted to more than $23,000.

In April 2016, Concierge filed a lawsuit for a Motion to Enforce Settlement Agreement against Platinum Luxury Auctions and its president and founder, Trayor Lesnock. In the motion, Concierge claimed that Lesnock and Platinum were in violation of a non-disparagement provision contained in a confidential settlement agreement between the two companies that was executed in September 2014, relating to a previous legal dispute.

In response to the motion, Miami-Dade circuit judge William Thomas ruled in Concierge’s favor. Platinum then appealed the decision in the higher courts based on its confidence in the facts surrounding the complaint, resulting in Platinum’s August 2017 victory.

Concierge argued that a blog post written by Lesnock entitled “Clank! The Curious Case of the Failed Michael Jordan Auction(s),” was in violation of the settlement agreement in the original Platinum Luxury Auctions lawsuit. Lesnock’s post does not mention Concierge Auctions by name, and presents an arguably neutral discussion of its failed attempt to sell the famous basketball player’s Chicago home in a November 2013 auction.

In the appeal, Platinum’s attorneys at the Tripp Scott Law Firm in Fort Lauderdale, FL successfully argued that not only did Lesnock create the Michael Jordan blog post in January 2014, a full nine months before the settlement agreement, but he was also able to prove that the article was never edited, revised, or otherwise modified since the posting date.

More importantly, despite the fact that Concierge Auctions’ counsel carefully reviewed the blog post in depositions with Lesnock related to the September 2014 settlement, Concierge did not request that Lesnock censor, remove, or modify the blog in any way whatsoever as part of that lawsuit settlement.

Ryan H. Lehrer of Tripp Scott, the lead attorney for Platinum Luxury Auctions in the appeal, stated that Concierge’s motion was “just the latest attempt by that entity to harass Platinum Luxury Auctions with meritless accusations and legal filings.”

Lehrer added that the opinion of the higher courts, “…solely concentrated on the fact that Platinum Luxury Auctions had not breached the parties’ settlement agreement and the fact that Concierge Auctions LLC had wrongfully attempted to insert additional terms into that agreement that did not exist.”

Platinum Luxury Auctions is responsible for developing the luxury auction® model for high-priced real estate auctions and owns the trademark rights to the term “luxury auction.” The firm specializes in the non-distressed sale of multimillion-dollar properties within and beyond the United States. Platinum’s team has closed more than $768 million in luxury real estate auction sales to date, while consulting on more than $2.25 billion in additional luxury properties worldwide.

A Home with Attitude: 117 Whipstick Road Goes to Auction on Saturday, July 28 at 4:00 pm.

Automation behind the scenes makes this stunning shingle style residence technology savvy (yes, it’s really [very] smart). Owned by Internet Pioneer and author, John Patrick, 117 Whipstick Road is his brainchild and brings “Home Attitude”, Patrick’s newly released book, to life.

Featured in Business Week and most recently in Mansion Global, the five-bedroom home boasts distinguished architectural features, custom millwork, arched panel doors, hardwood floors, radiant heat, high-quality cabinetry, many built-in special features. An acclaimed office and custom five-car garage, complete the perfectly efficient package.

Now, the absolutely stunning home is in the hands of Platinum Luxury Auctions. Property Previews are currently taking place daily from noon to 5:00 pm until July 28. Registered bidders only. Contact Platinum to obtain registration information.

The former IBM VP shared thoughts on the upcoming home auction on his Blog saying, “After being married 50 years, we are happy to live anywhere, but the big house became more than we needed. We decided to downsize to a Toll Brothers carriage house about 12 miles away.” Patrick adds, “Now the question is how to sell such a special home. As I told the Wall Street Journal, I like the auction model because it is action-oriented.”

“Some say an auction is a risky approach to selling a home. I say relying completely on the traditional home selling method is also risky as the carrying costs mount. One is wait and see, the other is make something happen through an aggressive marketing program and professional handling of bidder interest. I will know if it was a good decision on July 28. I am optimistic. If you have a friend who is looking for a Ridgefield, Connecticut outpost, please share this with them,” says Patrick.

See the full article, written by Kerry Ann Ducey, here.

Auction Offers Opportunity for Private Land Holding Amidst National Monument Lands

A 570-acre ranch in southern Utah that shares its borders with National Monument lands has been scheduled for sale via luxury auction^® with Platinum Luxury Auctions. Although once asking nearly $14 million, the property will now be sold subject to a reserve price of only $4 million. The ranch owner retained the Miami-based auction house to conduct the non-distressed auction sale, which is scheduled for May 26^th, 2018. Platinum is managing the auction process in cooperation with listing brokerage Summit Sotheby’s International Realty, represented by listing agent Kathy Mears.

The property, known as the Wine Bar Ranch, is owned by Shane Robison and his family. Robison is a venture capitalist and retired tech executive who has held various posts at some of the world’s most prominent technology companies, such as Apple, AT&T Labs and Hewlett Packard. He and his family developed the ranch over time by acquiring and improving a collection of farmland parcels in Boulder, Utah. The small and charming town is located about 250 miles south of the center of Salt Lake City.

While the ranch is currently home to a modest quarter horse and grass-fed Angus cattle operation, its truly distinguishing feature is the location, according to Trayor Lesnock, Platinum’s president and founder. “At the scenic lookout points along State Route 12, you can actually view the Wine Bar Ranch sitting amidst the protected National Monument lands, which contain 250 million years of geological history,” Lesnock stated. “While many sellers wish to think of their property as ‘truly unique,’ the ranch quite literally fits that description. It’s impossible to reproduce this asset.”

To be sure, the ranch abuts the Escalante Canyons (formerly part of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument), which are part of more than 1 million acres of awe-inspiring, natural lands. The beauty of the area is famous, and when traveling through the Monument it’s not uncommon to see professional photographers capturing the multicolored landscapes. Even painters will set up their easels amongst the rocks, and spend the day quietly transplanting the surrounding scenery onto their canvas.

Amenities of the ranch are extensive, and include a spectacular, 70,000-sf indoor arena. “It’s likely one of the largest such facilities in the entire state,” noted Lesnock. The arena is complete with heating and lighting systems, allowing for year-round use. It also houses stalls for horses and cattle, a tack room, entertainment lounge, guest apartment, fitness center and bathrooms.

There is also an outdoor arena with stadium lighting, horse and cattle barns, multiple paddocks, three large hangars for hay storage, and various storage facilities for equipment of all sizes. Much of the work performed on the ranch can be accomplished without leaving the property, thanks to a sprawling workshop with office and bathroom, commercial-grade woodworking center, fuel storage facility, pump house and even a cement production plant.

Perhaps most importantly, the ranch enjoys an ample water supply. Water shares include five well permits from the state of Utah, four culinary water shares from Boulder Farmstead Water Company and irrigation shares from Boulder Irrigation and Water Development Company. These water shares ensure the smooth operation of the 260 acres of the ranch that are in production.

The ranch also enjoys grazing permits for its livestock, which include 180 Animal Unit Months (AUMs) in the Dixie National Forest and an additional permit from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for 20 cattle. These permits allow for the ranch’s cattle to graze off-site each year, conserving resources on the property.

Living accommodations at the Wine Bar Ranch are also ample, highlighted by the main residence of approx. 6,000 square feet. The tri-level ranch house includes 6 beds, 4 full and 2 half baths, in addition to a study, wine room and entertainment lounge. There are six additional living quarters located throughout the ranch for guests and staff, including a ranch manager’s home and a guesthouse that is adjacent to the main residence. Large concrete decks with power hookups can also accommodate several large recreational vehicles.

Previews of the ranch are being held daily and by appointment, until May 25^th. The actual auction of the property will be held in Salt Lake City, for the convenience of the participating bidders. For information on property tours, bidder registration or other auction procedures, interested parties may visit UtahLuxuryAuction.com, or call Platinum’s project manager at 800.296.2605.

A cautionary tale about market value in the ultra-luxury real estate world…

The CNBC article by Robert Frank can be viewed here.

Read the full article by Eric Bortz of Realtor.com here.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – If you can’t be bothered to walk down stairs, you’ll love this Colorado Springs home that’s going up for auction.

That’s because it has a built-in spiral slide leading to the lower level.

The 13,000-square-foot, six-bedroom home sits on 45 acres in the Cathedral Pines area of northeastern Colorado Springs. The property was previously listed for $4.25 million and is now going up for auction without reserve.

The house has all the high-end features you’d expect from a luxury home of its size, including a lower level that’s built for entertaining. It features a game room, indoor lap pool, hot tub with waterfall, steam shower, home theater, bar, fitness center and art gallery.

And, of course, that slide. But you can also take the stairs (or elevator) down if you’re not in the sliding mood.

The home goes up for auction on Saturday, March 3 at 11 a.m. MT. Only registered bidders will be allowed, so be sure to contact Platinum Luxury Auctions if you’re interested.

For more information on the auction, log on to platinumluxuryauctions.com.

View the original article by Kurt Sevits here.

Previously listed for $5.9M, the Kiawah Island property has views of the Atlantic Ocean

For the original article written by Fang Block, click here.