LEONARDO DICAPRIO - DICAPRIO SUES DOZENS OF BUILDERS

DICAPRIO SUES DOZENS OF BUILDERS

LEONARDO DiCAPRIO is suing dozens of building contractors in relation to a row over the construction of a basketball court which the actor's neighbours claim damaged their property. The Titanic star and his cousin Robert Hrtica, from whom DiCaprio rents the Hollywood Hills home, filed legal papers in Los Angeles Superior Court on 30 January (08). The pair allege contractors and landscapers who built the basketball court in 2004, and another contractor who worked on a retaining wall for neighbours Ronald and Joan Linclau, should be held liable for any damage to the Linclaus' property. DiCaprio and Hrtica also claim the Linclaus' own lawsuit, which was filed in May 2007 and claims the basketball court damaged their property, is meritless. DiCaprio's legal documents state: "Seeking a scapegoat for the potential problems that they themselves created and the creation of a backyard for themselves free of charge, (the Linclaus) filed this lawsuit in an apparent attempt to extort the cost of construction of a new retaining wall." Last month (Jan08), a judge ruled the Linclaus need to amend their lawsuit as it doesn't prove DiCaprio did anything wrong, or it will be thrown out of court.