Sophia Michaels
the couple’s now-shuttered West Hollywood restaurant Pump.
The company called 8948 Santa Monica Partners claims that Pump – of which Todd is the guarantor – has “failed and refused and continues to fail and refuse to keep and perform” their lease conditions, according to documents obtained by Page Six.
They are suing $950,000 in damages after claiming Pump owes them roughly $250,000 in unpaid rent, $150,000 in absconding the liquor license and $50,000 of stolen fixtures.
The company has demanded $750,000 in damages for the alleged breach of contract and an additional $200,000 for allegedly not transferring over the liquor license – with an “estimated fair market value of $150,000” – and other fixtures.
“We are aggressively pursuing damages and he will be held fully liable,” one of the owners tells Page Six in a statement.
According to the documents, Pump was supposed to turn over the liquor license over to the next renter, but they have allegedly refused to do so after “surrendering” the property on July 13, 2023.
A new restaurant has since taken over the grounds, but Todd, 77, has allegedly kept the liquor license and thus stalled the opening of the new eatery – costing the landlords “approximately $56,500 of base rent and other charges for each month.”
The property owners claim that Todd’s “promissory fraud” was “willful, malicious and made in bad
faith with reckless disregard for the wrongful and tortious nature” when he entered into his 2013 lease contract.
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Reps for Pump and Vanderpump, 62, did not return Page Six’s request for comment.
Vanderpump announced in May that after 10 years of business, they’d be closing the doors of Pump.
“It’s with heavy hearts that we announce that the lease at Pump Restaurant is expiring,” Vanderpump told E! News.
At the time, Vanderpump claimed the rent had reached an “untenable” amount of money, but the same landlords denied that that was the case.
“We did not raise the rent and in fact have been nothing but supportive as they tried to catch up on lease obligations including forgiving some rent during Covid,” the landlord told Page Six at the time.
