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Juan Gabriel Family Wins Unpaid Fee Suit
The family of Mexican music icon Juan Gabriel won more than $1 million from a wealthy businessman and promoter for a performance fee that the defendant claimed was waived due to friendship.
AP Photo / Rebecca Blackwell – Juan Gabriel
Auditorio Nacional, Mexico City, Mexico
The late Juan Gabriel performed at the
When the family and heirs to the estate asked about the fee, Abraham said his father had helped Gabriel with legal problems in the past and the singer had thus agreed to waive the fee, citing a 2013 performance at his mother’s birthday party and an affidavit from a housekeeper as evidence, El Paso Inc. reported.
Abraham was serving a two-year sentence for fatally striking a homeless man when Ivan Aguilera, the heir to Juan Gabriel’s estate, and IGSFA Management filed suit against him in a Florida court last year. A judge ruled in February, two months after Abraham’s release, that he would have to pay the $946,486 in performance fees and $88,561 in interest, according to El Paso Inc.
The wealthy El Paso resident tried to have the Florida ruling over a Texas case thrown out, but the decision was upheld by a Kerrville, Texas, judge and is currently being appealed, according to El Paso Inc.
Aguilera reportedly also has another suit against Abraham, claiming he put down $105,000 for a 2014 real estate deal that never closed.
Abraham, who owns lots of historic real estate in El Paso and traces his roots to the third mayor of the city according to El Paso Proud, was reportedly also found in contempt for not appearing or providing financial records to the Florida court.
In a separate case, Abraham was recently accused of perjury by an Austin judge for lying about elevator repairs in one of his buildings, according to KVIA-TV.
At press time attorneys for Aguilera were seeking to begin seizing Abraham’s assets, El Paso Inc., reported.