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Wayne Newton sued twice this week over alleged unpaid bills
Published Friday, July 17, 2009 | 8:54 a.m.
Updated Friday, July 17, 2009 | 11:33 a.m.
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Entertainer Wayne Newton has been sued twice this week by creditors claiming to be owed tens of thousands of dollars.
In one lawsuit, Newton is accused of failing to pay $32,384 for hay delivered to his Las Vegas ranch -- presumably for consumption by his horses at the ranch, called Casa de Shenandoah. In the other suit, he is accused of owing GMAC $36,999 for a lease on a Cadillac.
Both suits were filed in Clark County District Court.
Messages were left at Newton's office and with his attorney Thursday, but the entertainer and his representatives could not be reached for comment on the allegations.
Newton is known as a champion breeder of Arabian horses. In one of the lawsuits involving the hay, Austin Eide is suing Newton, the Wayne Newton Foundation and Debby Buck, identified as a representative for Newton or the foundation.
Eide, 19, of Logandale, grows alfalfa in the Moapa Valley north of Las Vegas and this was the first time he had done business with Newton, said his attorney Gregory Mills.
Mills said Newton's representatives had not complained about the quality of the hay and had stopped returning Eide's calls about the past-due balance.
The suit says Buck, on behalf of Newton or the foundation, contracted with Eide to provide 4,032 bales of hay at $12 per bale to be delivered to Newton's residence.
The suit says 18 shipments of hay were made to complete the $48,384 order between July and October 2008, but that Eide has received only partial payments.
Eide said he received $5,000 from the defendant corporation -- the foundation -- delivered by Buck in July 2008.
Eide said the corporation paid another $3,000 delivered by Buck in August and that Buck delivered the last payment of $8,000 in October. The last payment was in the form of a personal check signed by Newton, the lawsuit said.
Attached to the suit is a receipt signed by Buck confirming the delivery of the 4,032 bales.
In the second lawsuit, GMAC said Newton and his company, Erin Miel Inc., in 2005 leased a 2005 Cadillac Escalade and agreed to make 48 monthly payments of $894.39.
The suit says the defendants are in default on the lease and have failed to buy or turn over the vehicle to GMAC. As of April 8, the balance owed was $36,999, the suit said.
A third lawsuit involving Newton is pending in federal court in Las Vegas. In that suit, former Newton pilot Monty Ward obtained a judgment against Newton for $455,250 for past-due wages.
Erin Miel Inc., the company that arranges Newton's performances and pays his fellow performers and staff, intervened in that case in May complaining that Ward is trying to execute a judgment for funds belonging to it and that are now impounded by the court.
A garnishment served on the MGM Grand hotel-casino in Las Vegas, where Newton sometimes performs, resulted in $91,000 being withheld from Erin Miel Inc. for performances in March and April, Erin Miel said in its court filing.
"Monty Ward's service of a writ of garnishment served on MGM Grand is causing Erin Miel Inc. to be unable to pay the salaries of over a dozen musicians and staff," Erin Miel Inc. complained. "It is interfering with Erin Miel Inc.'s ability to pay ongoing costs and obligations."
Erin Miel Inc. said it employs Newton at a salary of $2,872 per week and has been garnishing 25 percent of his wages to pay the Ward judgment -- except for weeks when Newton did not receive a paycheck.
It argued Newton and another Newton company, Desert Eagle LLC, are subject to the pilot's judgment -- but that Erin Miel Inc. is not and that Erin Miel should receive the money from the MGM Grand that the court is holding pending resolution of the case.
Discussion: 29 comments so far…
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OMG, how embarrassing. Dude, pay your bills!
Sing your way out of this one!
He was bankrupt before..probably will be again.
Evidently has no control over his spending.
Poor Wayne
Pay your bills
Once again one of the "RICH" trying to avoid paying what he owes. I wonder how many people lost a job because this dirtbag refused to pay what he owes. These elite rich people need to have their assets seized to pay off these bills.
People working at these companies are in danger of losing their jobs because dirtbags dont pay what they owe.
And we're supposed to believe he only makes about $2900 a week? I find that absurd.
I cannot believe Mr. Newton could be so stupid.
It's tough for Mr. Newton to live on $30 million a year.
yea kust like the limo drivers sueing bell trans and bell limo cant get there wages as per nevada law but there is a lawsuit see it in the las vegas sun and also at lct magazine look under the blog of jim luff attorny name is mark thierman in reno 775-284-1500
Didnt he file for bankruptcy a few years back?
I think he filed bankruptcy a long time ago, but the IRS is dinging him for around 2 million in unpaid taxes.
Pay your bills. give $5 tours to your gaudy estate.
He's just as human as the rest of us. He didn't foresee this 'depression' no more than the rest of us. Same problems etc. Falling on hard times happens to the best of us. He's given more per capita than the average entertainer as I remember him when he stepped out of Huey in Vietnam to entertain troops there.
If I was Wayne Newton I'd avoid flying with Monty Ward anytime soon.
They eat horses don't they?, in France and Germany etc.
The troops like WWE etc. Wanye Newton fans are in VA homes.
Ya figured by the miracle of getting debt free with that huge deficit he encountered that this would never happen again.
So Wayne is now a two timer at being a deadbeat by not paying bills - how ridiculous is that...
As ridiculous as Michael Jackson, Steve Garvey (former LA Dodger), and OJ Simpson that dont pay their bills to name a few more.
Wayne Newton likes to be called "Mr. Las Vegas" and considered our all time entertainer. He is a nice guy and was a very good entertainer, but he was never "Mr. Las Vegas" in the eyes of those who are natives here.
It was Louie Prima that is most remembered as "Mr. Las Vegas", packing them into lounge shows nightly when he was performing here. He out performed, out drew and outlasted Wayne by a long shot. Also, he paid his bills...always on time...always like an honorable gentleman!
We have a road named for Wayne Newton, but not much to remember the real and original "Mr. Las Vegas" Louie Prima!
Somebody tell me how in the hell anyone can owe millions of dollars to the IRS? If I owe 25 cents they would put a lein against my home and I would be wearing a prison jump suit before I could call an attorney....How do they do it? How do they accumulate that much tax debt without some real action being taken against them? What charisma do they have that the general public does not have..,oh, I forgot...money, position and political clout!
danke schoen, Wayno!!
How is this possible??? This sounds a little contrived. Those who have been around WN for a while know he is a decent guy. WN has enough wealth behind him not to have to worry about all this!!!!! But those who want to hurt, will hurt!!!! Besides, those "working for" WN should be ashamed if they can't do their job.
Quit Glorifying & Worshiping these "Pay me money so you can look at me" self-absorbed people!
Megastuff happens.
I wish I could have seen Louis Prima and Keely Smith in their heyday. They must have been something. One of a kind legends for sure in the area's music scene.
It's obvious Mr. Newton is in some dire straits. He has helped so many people through the years they should be lined up now to help him.
The Escalade is four years old. Turn it in, pay the late fees and be done with it. Better yet, run an ad and sell it (with an autographed photo and a picture session with the buyer) and you can probably get enough to pay the hay bill too. There's gotta be someone out there who would pay 70 grand to tell their friends that they drive Wayne's car.
the kid's got a big problem paying his debts and this problem didnt happen over night; with his hair style he could play the Christian network as a back up preacher; throw in a little adultery and he'll fit right in!
why not get a gig at a homeless shelter and donate the vehile to them - drive a golf cart around vegas - or sign up with a debt company so that you only have to pay 30 to 40 percent - hay wayne - remember New Haven CT??
I really can't believe these comments I am reading about a man that has given 110% of his whole life to his career and entertaining millions of people. He is the best entertainer I have ever seen and most all of us are having trouble right now through this bad time in our recession, depression. Wayne, is not the type to not pay his bills and he can't very well pay his orchestra if the MGM holds his money from him. I think this whole thing is a very sad story and I wish people would stop and think about what this wonderful man has done for all of us, and cut out the uncalled for comments that are hurtful to anyone. I am in a bad way myself, due to my husband losing his job 9 months ago so I sympathize with anyone this day and time that are having financial problems. It is not fun!!!!!
I wouldn't want to be made fun of or run down.
Judy-Tulsa, OK
Wow. Have the people who wrote the majority of these comments taken time to re-read them? Wayne is undoubtably one of the most giving and selfless men in entertainment. How miserable the people writing many of these blogs must be. Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Aren't we supposed to be given the same mercy that we show others? How about pray for this man and that God will bring him and his family through this? How come it's some hard drug users in the entertainment business who are multi-millionairs, and then the guy who is clean and a great family man who has the struggles just like the rest of us, especially in this economy?
Who charges $12 for a bale of alfalfa hay?! I feed my horses alfalfa hay and pay $6-$8. And any pilot who makes that kind of money should be kissing the ground his former employer walks on if he received even 1/4 of that amount. I know many private pilots who don't make anywhere near that, and wouldn't dream of taking their business public. For almost everyone who wrote a blog on this, except for those in the minority who were supportive, read the poison you wrote and ask yourself why? Wayne Newton has done nothing but want to entertain and trust those in charge of his business affairs. How many creative types do you know that also excel in accounting business? Just lift this man up in prayer and maybe in the midst of your praying God will help you in your own personal situations, too. I'll get off my soapbox now, but I sincerely think we need the escapism of Wayne's entertainment not the darkness of tearing him down.