An African art collection is once again set for auction after its owner, Sam Njunuri, filed for bankruptcy earlier this year. The collection, comprising over 1,000 pieces including sculptures and monuments, has been at the centre of a legal dispute dating back to 2015.
The saga began when Darlene Jarrett and Sylvia Jones entered into a lease agreement with Njunuri for a property in Richmond. The arrangement soured when the women returned from a trip to find their belongings either sold or missing, and the locks on the rental changed. This incident led to a lawsuit in 2017, with the women claiming loss of both tangible property and irreplaceable family heirlooms.
In 2022, District Judge Rabeea Sultan Collier ordered Njunuri to pay nearly $1 million to Jarrett and Jones following a 2021 jury verdict in their favour. Subsequently, in October, Judge Collier identified Njunuri's art collection as assets for sale to satisfy the judgment.
The collection has not been without controversy. In 2021, it came to light that Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis had transported and stored the artworks at taxpayer expense. However, a grand jury declined to indict Ellis on any charges related to this matter.
An initial sheriff's sale was scheduled for April 4, 2024. However, on the same day, Njunuri filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy, halting the proceedings. Now, officials have rescheduled the auction for July 25, 2024, at 10 a.m. at 6464 Savoy Drive in Houston.
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