Thirty years after he retired from the ring, Muhammad Ali is facing a new bout – this time in a courtroom. The 69-year-old boxing legend has filed a lawsuit against a couple who sold him his Kentucky mansion, alleging the property is beset by problems.
The home in Louisville was snapped up by Ali and his wife, Yolanda, in 2006. The sprawling mansion estate cost the Alis a cool $1.87 million, but they claim they have since found several structural issues. TMZ reports that the sporting icon is seeking unspecified damages from Patrick and Beverly Lancaster.
Amongst the alleged faults with the home are a leaky roof and chimney, improper ventilation, mold issues, and structurally defective decking. According to Ali, the Lancasters kept the problems to themselves when selling the house.
An attorney for Patrick and Beverly Lancaster told WDRB that the couple “was totally surprised” by the lawsuit, claiming the Alis had plenty of chances to order an inspection of the home:
“There are no serious defects with the home. The house is a 10-year-old home. A normal Greater Louisville Association of Realtors contract was used for the sale, and the purchasers had every opportunity to have the home inspected at the time.”
An attorney for the Alis declined to comment. Here’s a video of the home, courtesy of WDRB:
