Whatever happened to this? Still in litigation? Anthing been uncovered? Bad for business (college football at USC) to bring it up I guess.
By Brent Schrotenboer
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
September 14, 2006
The controversial Spring Valley house once occupied by Reggie Bush's parents has been put on the market for $775,000 and is being advertised as “the famous Reggie Bush house” in its real estate listing.
The ad reminds potential buyers that the 3,002-square-foot residence on Apple Street was “seen on ESPN, CNN, MSNBC, Sports Illustrated and inside the sports page of almost every newspaper in the country!”
“The history behind the house is generating a ton of interest,” said Daniel Ellis, a real estate agent for Assist2Sell Realty. “It's mentioned in all the ads we have, and it is a selling tool. People are familiar with it, and it will draw them to the house and get them to take a look at it.”
After living there for about a year, Bush's parents moved out in April after being accused by the owner, Michael Michaels, of not having paid $54,000 in rent. That triggered an NCAA investigation that could jeopardize their son's Heisman Trophy and cause USC to forfeit games in which Bush played.
Michaels was an investor in a fledgling sports marketing agency that sought to represent Bush. NCAA rules prohibit its athletes and their family members from accepting benefits from agents.
The NCAA investigation remains in a holding pattern while the attorney for the agency, Brian Watkins, said he is still compiling information for a pending fraud lawsuit against Bush and his parents. He has accused the family of taking about $300,000 in expenses from the agency's investors but signing with another agency instead.
“The ball is in one of their two courts,” said Ron Barker, the Pac-10 Conference's associate commissioner for governance and enforcement. “Either (Watkins) files suit, or it's up to the NCAA to say enough time has gone by” and to proceed with the investigation.
NCAA investigations sometimes take years if other litigation gets in the way. Barker worked with the NCAA when it investigated Michigan's “Fab Five” basketball players in a case that spanned 10 years.
Bush has denied his family did anything wrong and said details would emerge later.
Michaels bought the house in 2005 for $757,000. He did not return a call seeking comment.
“It's been lived in only a short time,” Ellis said. “It's basically a model home.”