Worth $60M, Aretha Franklin Sued Over Condo Fees

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Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin isn’t getting much R-E-S-P-E-C-T from her Bloomfield Hills neighbors, but they might argue they’re giving as good as they get.

Hills of Lone Pine Association, a homeowners group for the exclusive gated community where Franklin owns a 4,148-square-foot condominium, filed a lawsuit seeking to foreclose on the legendary Motown singer’s property, reportedly valued at $695,380, The Detroit News reports.

The reason?

Franklin, 73, whose net worth is estimated at $60 million, owes more than $11,500 in fees and maintenance charges, according to the lawsuit filed in Oakland County Circuit Court.

According to court records, Franklin took out a $500,000 mortgage on the five-bedroom, six and a half bathroom condominium in 1997. Ally Financial Inc. and CitiMortgage Inc., which hold first and second mortgages on the property, are also named as defendants.

Franklin, who has another residence in Bloomfield Township that she lists as her official mailing address, told The Detroit News she doesn’t live in the Hills of Lone Pine condo, but thinks she has been “overcharged for years.”

“My attorney has been discussing this with them,” she said. “And I have paid what I felt was credible and legitimate.”

The Grammy winning artist, who began recording as a gospel singer as a teenager and has sold more than 75 million records, including several chart-topping hits, isn’t a stranger in the courtroom.

She has been sued several times over the years for not paying vendors and businesses for goods and services, the newspaper said.

» Photo by Mike Bouchard via Flickr