The list of defendants in the Masiello copycat commission lawsuit just got shorter. In a document filed on Monday, the counsel for the home seller plaintiff Joseph Masiello notified the federal court in Arizona that it was voluntarily dismissing defendant Walt Danley Local Luxury, an affiliate of Christie’s International Real Estate, from the suit.
According to the filing, the defendant had not yet served an answer or motion for summary judgement.
Defendants in other copycat commissions suits have been dismissed.
Christie’s International Real Estate declined to comment on the development.
The lawsuit was originally filed in early January. Like the other commission lawsuits, the Masiello suit takes aim at the National Association of Realtors’ Participation Rule, which requires listing brokers to make a blanket offer of compensation to the buyer’s broker in order to list a property on a Realtor-affiliated MLS.
Though the suit takes aim at NAR’s Participation Rule, it does not name NAR as a defendant. Instead the suit lists the state’s largest Realtor organizations, including Arizona Association of Realtors, Phoenix Association of Realtors, Scottsdale Area Association of Realtors, and West and Southeast Realtors of the Valley Incorporated, as well as several local and national brokerage firms, including, HomeSmart, My Home Group, Realty One Group Arizona, West USA Realty, Hague Partners Holdings, Realty Executives, Arizona Best Real Estate, North&Company, Silverleaf Realty, Brokery, Roy H Long Realty Company, and Tierra Antigua Realty.
