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Sean Kingston Must Pay $77K for Trashing Mansion, Ignoring Lawsuit

By Andrew Lu on October 04, 2012 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Sean Kingston lost a lawsuit brought by his former Miami landlord. A court ordered the rapper/reggae star to pay almost $78,000 for trashing the rental home.

The landlord claimed that Kingston trashed the Miami Beach rental. The rapper allegedly broke showers, dock railings, put holes in the walls, and even messed up landscaping, reports Gossip Extra. Kingston also allegedly walked away from $50,000 worth of unpaid rent.

What did Kingston have to say for himself? Well, we don't know. That's because Kingston never responded to the lawsuit and was even fired by his former lawyer, reports Gossip Extra. The court reportedly entered a default judgment against Kingston.

There are several ways to win a lawsuit against someone. Most commonly, the defendant will defend the charges and the plaintiff will have to prove their case in a court of law. However, in rare circumstances, you may deal with a defendant who simply does not care and puts no effort into showing up to court or defending the claim.

A court cannot require that someone defend himself in court. As a result, if a defendant is completely unresponsive or makes no attempt to prove he's innocent, a court will enter a default judgment for the plaintiff.

Before a default judgment will be entered, a court typically must prove that the appropriate procedural steps have been taken to notify the defendant of the lawsuit. This can include the proper serving of the lawsuit and notice to appear. If these steps have been met, a court may consider the defendant's failure to appear as an admission of the truth of the plaintiff's claims.

Sean Kingston's lack of responsiveness may have as much to do with the truth of the landlord's claims as much as total indifference. Kingston reportedly already owes the IRS over half-a-million dollars in unpaid taxes, which the government is still trying to recoup. Kingston's landlord will likely have to stand in line behind the IRS when looking to collect.

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