Bloom Parham Wins $274,533 Judgment Plus Attorneys’ Fees for Tortious Interference in Georgia Real Estate Dispute

Bloom Parham has secured a judgment of $274,533 plus attorneys’ fees for a Georgia property owner after his commercial tenant tortiously interfered with his sale of leased property to a third-party buyer. Following a two-day bench trial, the Superior Court of Fulton County found that the tenant, through its principal, engaged in a deliberate campaign of threats and harassment aimed at derailing the sale, and the court held the tenant liable for tortious interference with our client’s contract to sell the property (Civil Action File No. 24CV007261).

Simon H. Bloom and Sean C. Ryan of Bloom Parham’s commercial litigation team represented the property owner in this matter.

A Sale Frustrated by an Uncooperative Tenant

Our client leased a commercial property to the tenant, a bus and truck repair business, under a lease that ended in March 2024, after which the tenant stayed on as a month-to-month tenant. When our client later contracted to sell the property under terms that would have left the tenant’s occupancy undisturbed, the tenant demanded to buy the property itself, despite having no ongoing right to do so. When our client declined, the tenant’s principal launched a campaign of threats and obstruction aimed at killing the sale, including intimidating the buyer’s representatives, blocking a scheduled inspection, and making an unannounced, unsettling visit to the buyer’s office. The interference worked, but not in the tenant’s favor: rattled by the tenant’s conduct, the buyer would only proceed if the property was delivered free of the tenant’s occupancy, forcing a renegotiation that has delayed the closing for years.

The Court’s Findings, and the Damages Awarded

Following a bench trial, the Superior Court of Fulton County ruled for our client on every element of his tortious interference claim. The court found that the tenant was a mere stranger to the sale contract with no legitimate privilege to interfere, that the tenant’s principal acted with the malice by knowingly and intentionally interfering with our client’s right to sell his own property, and that the interference forced a renegotiation and materially delayed the sale, causing our client real, compensable harm.

The court awarded our client $274,533 in damages, reflecting lost investment returns on the sale proceeds and additional carrying costs, offset by the rent received during the delay. While the court declined to award punitive damages, it found that the tenant acted in bad faith and awarded our client his attorney’s fees under O.C.G.A. § 13-6-11, with the amount to be determined at a later hearing alongside our client’s related requests for contractual prevailing-party and other fees.

Why This Result Matters

Property owners have the right to sell their own property, and a tenant’s occupancy does not give it a say in who that property is sold to. This result confirms that Georgia courts will hold a party accountable for tortious interference, even without violence or a breach of contract, when its threats and obstruction are aimed at derailing someone else’s legitimate business dealings.

Facing a Business or Real Estate Dispute? Talk to Bloom Parham

Bloom Parham’s commercial and real estate litigation attorneys routinely help property owners and businesses protect their contractual and property rights. To discuss a tortious interference, real estate, or business dispute, reach out to Simon H. Bloom or Sean C. Ryan, or learn more about our real estate litigation practice.