Countersuit Filed Against God's Property Founder

LOS ANGELES‹The battle over control of gospel's hottest singing group shifted into high gear with the Nov. 16 counter-complaint filed against God's Property founder Linda Searight by B-Rite Music and Gospo Centric Records in U.S. District Court here.
The action comes as a response to an 11-count, $75 million lawsuit brought Oct. 6 by Searight against B-Rite, Gospo Centric, and its principals‹Claude and Vicki Mack Lataillade, Interscope Records, and members of God's Property. That suit alleged fraud, breach of contract, accounting and civil conspiracy, restraint of trade, breach of covenant of good faith and fair dealing, intentional interference with contractual relations, and defamation (BillboardBulletin, Oct. 8).
In the countersuit, which seeks unspecified damages, Claude Lataillade, CEO of B-Rite Music, and Gospo Centric CEO Vicki Mack Lataillade are charging Searight with breach of contract. They are also asking the court to prohibit her from professional use of the name God's Property for the duration of the unexpired term of the seven-album/seven-year agreement, while granting them the services of God's Property directly.
B-Rite is also seeking reimbursement for damages alleged to have been sustained in the prevention of the timely release of God's Property albums (including damages of no less than $1 million) and monies due the label from the sale of merchandise bearing the name "God's Property," to which the label says its has retained the exclusive rights and the license to manufacture and sell.
According to the countersuit, core members of the Grammy-winning group‹which registered sales of more than 2.7 million units on its record-setting debut album "God's Property"‹have become estranged from Searight as a result of "misguided, dictatorial, secretive, unfair, and unreasonable conduct." (Seventeen core members were named in Searight's Oct. 6 complaint and have since retained legal representation.)
The suit charges that Searight failed to pass on consistent pay to the members while presenting them with unlawful and unfair contracts and demands, threatening members who resisted with summary expulsion, and defaming B-Rite as well as gospel mega-star Kirk Franklin, who produced‹and was featured on‹the group's platinum CD.
The action also maintains that the majority of individuals who currently perform live as "God's Property" under Searight's direction are not the prominent members of the group who appeared on the hit album and in videos.
This is claimed to be in direct violation of the terms of the initial agreement. B-Rite further claims that ticket buyers walked out on a recent God's Property concert appearance featuring replacement members and altered musical arrangements.
Court papers suggest that both parties attempted to resolve the dispute through Christian arbitration, but talks broke down earlier this year. At present, B-Rite is seeking to have the court "uphold the contract revisions and allow God's Property to proceed with B-Rite without further unreasonable, unjustified interference and disruption from Searight."
Neither party was available for comment by press time.