SAN FRANCISCO – A settlement has been reached in a lawsuit centered on damage to high-end art that was kept in a San Francisco storage facility.
Judge Joseph C. Spero of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California dismissed the case March 21, "the court having been advised that the parties have agreed to a settlement of this case."
The settlement amount was not disclosed in the order of dismissal.
Plaintiffs AXA Insurance Co. and AXA Art Americas Corp. and its subrogor Anthony Meier Fine Arts filed a lawsuit against Connect Art International LLC, which owns a storage facility in San Francisco, in November 2017 alleging negligence and breach of contract.
According to the complaint, the plaintiffs were seeking a settlement of $467,500 relating to “damages that resulted from the discarding of certain artwork in Meier’s possession” at the storage facility.
“On or about Feb. 22, 2016, the plaintiff’s subrogor sustained damages as the result of the careless loss and/or discarding of artwork at the subject premises, which resulted in property damage to plaintiff’s subrogor, Meier," the complaint stated.
Plaintiff’s art allegedly was damaged due to “improperly installed, maintained, repaired, and/or secured subject premises,” the complaint states, and the defendants allegedly were aware of “the defective and hazardous condition” at the time the incident occurred and did nothing about it.
“The accident herein and the damages resulting there from were due solely and wholly to the negligence and grossly reckless conduct of the defendant Connect Art its agents, servants and/or employees and without any fault or want of care on the part of the plaintiff’s subrogor contributing thereto,” according to the complaint.
The plaintiffs also alleged that Connect Art did not comply with its duties outlined in the agreed contract.
“Plaintiff demands judgment against defendant Connect Art International LLC on its first and second causes of action in an amount to be determined at trial, believed to be $467,500., with interest thereon from Feb. 22, 2016, altogether with the costs and disbursements of this action,” the complaint stated.