"Bullock sues homebuilder again
Lawsuit claims Daneshjou is transferring assets to avoid paying creditors
By Claire Osborn

AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Friday, February 11, 2005

It looks as if Sandra Bullock is wondering about getting her happy ending after all.

A jury awarded the actress an estimated $7 million after an October verdict against local homebuilder Benny Daneshjou, whom Bullock accused of shoddy construction while building her home overlooking Lake Austin. On Wednesday, Bullock and her father sued Daneshjou again, claiming that he and his company, DCI, were attempting to hide most of their assets to avoid paying creditors.

Daneshjou's lawyer, Wade Jeffries, declined to comment Thursday because he said he had not received the lawsuit. Daneshjou, who has not paid Bullock anything yet, plans to appeal the original verdict against him and will ask that the judgment be suspended while the appeal is pending, Jeffries said.

One of Bullock's lawyers, Todd Wong, declined to comment Thursday about the new lawsuit.

According to the lawsuit, since February 2001 Daneshjou and DCI have transferred at least 17 pieces of property to Daneshjou's wife, Sally Daneshjou, to Daneshjou Family LP and to Bensal LP.

In addition to land, the lawsuit claims Daneshjou also transferred other assets including insurance proceeds, stocks and bonds.

Daneshjou's legal problems with the Bullocks started in 2001 after he sued them, claiming they had failed to pay some of the labor charges and architectural fees for a house he was building for the actress. The Bullocks countersued.

Construction on the house, which remains unfinished, stopped in 2000."