The family of Tom Petty pursuing legal action against auction house
The estate of Tom Petty has accused an auction house of dealing stolen property of the late musician, with his family announcing on Wednesday that they are pursuing “swift legal action” against Boston-based company RR Auction.
The family didn’t specify what measures they will be taking but maintained in their statement that they’re “pursuing all available legal action for the immediate return of these items” and called on fans and collectors to refrain from the auction until the matter has been resolved.
According to the family, the items in question were allegedly stolen from a “secured archive” and include some of Petty’s clothes, autographed objects and limited edition collector’s articles. The family said the items could “easily be traced back to family members”.
“We believe RR Auction, headquartered in Boston, is offering stolen Tom Petty memorabilia with a completely false provenance inaccurate to fact and in complete denial of clear evidence they have been presented,” the family wrote in their statement on social media. “They will not disclose the cosigner who has provided these items or how they were acquired. But they are clearly stolen, there is no other word for it.”
“These items have irreplaceable sentimental and educational value for the family and legacy of Tom Petty,” they said, “and we look forward to their safe return”.
RR Auction’s attorney, Mark Zaid, said in a statement that they have “been cooperating with the Petty family from the moment they reached out to us just days ago and will happily continue to do so without unnecessary hostile threats of litigation”.
He then asserted that the company has unfailingly found resolutions on the rare occasions when items’ ownership comes into question. “We continue to diligently investigate this situation and have requested the Petty family to cooperate with us as well,” he said. “That said, we also take seriously any defamatory allegations against our company, which has developed a stellar reputation over the last half-a-century of auctions, many of which are often in the news.”
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