Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Courts:

Judge bars sale of dog business to Heidi Fleiss

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Heidi Fleiss

Heidi Fleiss won't be getting into the dog business just yet.

The former Hollywood madam had paid about $10,000 toward a Las Vegas dog grooming business with a friend, former porn star Kendra Rossi, and named the shop Dirty Dogs.

However, the woman who was selling the business was in the midst of a divorce and was prohibited by a Family Court order from selling any property jointly owned with her husband.

Clark County District Court Judge Elizabeth Gonzalez issued a preliminary injunction today barring the sale.

Gonzalez said based on testimony given today by the seller, Nickol Marvian, Fleiss "apparently" knew the couple was in divorce proceedings and conspired with the seller to deprive her husband of the proceeds from the sale.

Marvian testified that she told Fleiss and another associate with her on Aug. 11 that she wasn't allowed to sell the business because of the divorce but Fleiss gave her a down payment of $3,000 in cash. Fleiss also paid $7,000 in late rent payments on the business to the landlord, Marvian said.

Marvian said that was the first time she had met Fleiss because she had been dealing with Fleiss' associate until that point.

Marvian represented herself at the hearing and said she knew she couldn't sell the business but didn't think transferring the business license and lease would constitute a sale. She admitted trying to hide the transaction from her husband, Jeff Marvian.

The couple opened Little Buddy Bath, 3720 E. Sunset Road, four years ago after taking out a second mortgage on their home.

Jeff Marvian said his wife primarily ran the business because he drives a truck, but said he occasionally would work in the store. Jeff Marvian filed for divorce on March 19, the same day the Family Court joint preliminary injunction was issued.

Shelley Lubritz, attorney for Jeff Marvian, filed the request for an injunction, claiming the defendants committed fraud and conspiracy. The complaint also claims Fleiss and Rossi were buying the business to try and use it for a reality show.

Attorney Robert Hill, who represented Fleiss and Rossi, said Fleiss' name is not on the contract, which had been worked out before her direct involvement.

"There had already been an agreement to transfer it prior to anything coming out about her going through a divorce or anything along the lines of the injunction," Hill said. "What we have here is Ms. Fleiss trying to keep her name out of it until she was forced to so she wouldn't get taken advantage of."

The Family Court will decide the future of the business but Fleiss has the option to seek permission from the court to run it, Lubritz said.

"We have a strong public policy that you don't get rewarded for having unclean hands and certainly Ms. Fleiss' hands were as dirty as the name she wants to put on the business," Lubritz said.

Fleiss did not testify during the hearing and Rossi was not present.

Lubritz said she plans to drop Rossi from the lawsuit.

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