Court Says Berkshire Hathaway Energy, Crye-leike Cannot Move Gibson Suit

The two remaining home seller commission lawsuit defendants are facing another setback. 

Judge Stephen R. Bough ruled Monday that Berkshire Hathaway Energy (BHE), the parent company of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, and Crye-Leike will not be allowed to transfer the Gibson suit to their respective home states of Iowa and Tennessee.

“The Court holds that severing this case into multiple duplicative cases does not serve the interest of justice [or] judicial economy,” Bough wrote.

Bough’s ruling comes roughly five months after he denied the defendants’ motion to dismiss the suit.

HomeServices and Crye-Leike are the only remaining home seller commission lawsuit defendants to not have reached a settlement agreement with the plaintiffs.

Hanna Holdings, the parent company of Howard Hanna Real Estate Services, settled the commission lawsuits earlier this month. That came after its request for Bough to recuse himself because of donations made by a plaintiffs’ attorney to Bough’s wife’s city council campaign was denied. BHE and Crye-Leike each took part in this effort.