Dove Audio Inc. and producers Michael Viner and Jerry Leider have sued producer/director Steven Stern and six of his relatives for allegedly transferring Stern's assets so that he could avoid paying a $ 4.585 million arbitration award.
In a complaint filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, Dove claimed Stern divorced his wife, Sharma, and entered into a property settlement less than two weeks after the arbitration award -- which arose out of a dispute over production of a film called "Change of Heart" or "Morning Glory" so that Stern could avoid paying the plaintiffs.
The settlement agreement left Stern with "virtually nothing of a non-exempt character," the suit said, and was made without appraising the assets including $ 2 million in retirement accounts.
Stern allegedly made a series of gifts and transactions to avoid paying the plaintiffs.
Suit claims that, in all, Stern made transfer of assets worth $ 3.4 million and got $ 150,000 back.
Dove, Viner and Leider want their arbitration award plus $ 10 million in punitive damages.
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