HOLLYWOOD - Comedian Jerry Seinfeld has been left lighter in the pocket after losing a legal battle with his former real estate broker.
Seinfeld opted not to pay Tamara Cohen her commission after buying a $3.95 million New York townhouse in 2005--because she refused to show up on the Jewish Sabbath, when the comic and his wife Jessica visited the home.
But a Manhattan judge has ruled that the broker is entitled to her finder's fee, and Seinfeld will have to pay up.
Cohen argued that she had told the Seinfelds of her religious constraints and could not work between Friday evening and sundown on Saturday.
Seinfeld maintained the broker even refused to return his calls, so he made the deal on the property himself.
In ruling Seinfeld was at fault in not paying up, State Supreme Court Justice Rolando Accosta said the only thing left to determine is exactly how much the comic owes.
Accosta has ordered a trial to determine how much Cohen should get. The fee will fall between $98,000 and $119,000.
COPYRIGHT 2007 WORLD ENTERTAINMENT NEWS NETWORK LTD. All Global Rights Reserved.