Lawsuit Filed by Erica Herman against Tiger Woods Over Home, Money Issues

A domestic argument between Tiger Woods and his previous partner has advanced to the court in Florida after they ended their relationship in October and, as per court reports procured by USA TODAY Sports, he supposedly had her barred from the waterfront manor they shared on the Treasure Coast.

The previous lover, Erica Herman, replied by documenting a claim, not against the golf great but against a homestead trust he is in control of in Hobe Sound, Florida. Presently, she is asking for harms of more than $30 million and said the trust and its delegates unlawfully utilized $40,000 money that had a place with her, making "slanderous and defamatory allegations how she acquired the cash."

Her legal claim expressed she had an "oral tenancy understanding" to stay at the home for five more years after it had been in actuality for six years before the split.

In a lawsuit filed this week, a woman, who was a former employee of Tiger Woods, accused the golf star of making inappropriate demands upon her during the time she worked for him. The woman alleged that the duties that she was expected to perform went beyond the scope of her job, and Wood's behavior was extraordinary in the circumstances and environment in which she lived. Additionally, in a separate complaint, she sued Woods, seeking the court's release of a non-disclosure agreement that they had signed in 2017. She argued that the agreement was not legally enforceable under the federal Speak Out Act, which prohibits such agreements when they relate to sexual assault or harassment.

In October, a lawsuit was filed against the trust related to Tiger Woods and an undisclosed Non-disclosure Agreement (NDA). This was not reported until Wednesday. Attorneys for Woods' trust are working to enforce the NDA and to take the dispute out of public court and into private arbitration. Both suits are intertwined as a result.

In a lawsuit against the trust, it was alleged that their agents had tricked her into packing a suitcase for a supposed “short vacation”, when in reality she was locked out of her residence upon arriving at the airport in violation of the oral tenancy agreement and Florida law. The trust has countered this lawsuit by requesting the court to compel confidential arbitration for the dispute, citing that the non-disclosure agreement (NDA) between Woods and Herman requires such arbitration for such issues. The trust claims that Herman chose to file against the trust instead of Woods to gain leverage by pursuing their dispute in public rather than following the NDA.

The trust established by Tiger Woods in 2017, with Woods and his children as potential beneficiaries and the residence as the only asset, was at the center of court records filed recently. According to the document, Lindsey Herman had been invited to live in the residence while in a relationship with Woods, who now resides there along with his two children. After Woods ended the relationship, Herman was informed she was no longer welcome in the residence.

Herman has contested a legal agreement she signed, which was meant to prevent her from filing a lawsuit in court regarding sexual assault and harassment. To support her case, Herman cites the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault And Sexual Harassment Act of 2021, a federal law that voids such arbitration agreements. Despite having worked as Tiger Woods' restaurant manager in Jupiter, Florida, Herman has not directly accused him of such misconduct. Instead, she is requesting that a court deem at least part of the NDA she signed unenforceable, allowing her greater freedom of speech.

The court filing this week by the Plaintiff against Woods has highlighted the level of uncertainty she faces. She is uncertain whether she is allowed to disclose facts that could form the basis of any potential legal claims, or even what information she can disclose about her own life. This has caused an active dispute between the Plaintiff and the Woods, prompting the need for a declaration from the court to clarify the situation.

Herman's lawsuit against the trust contends that any costs incurred from maintaining his residence should be fully borne by the defendant or its associates. Additionally, the suit states that damages likely exceed $30,000,000 based on the high rental value of the residence.

Neither side's lawyer provided comment when contacted.

This case is just the latest of Woods' unfortunate episodes off the golf course. In 2021 he had an accident with his car in Los Angeles, a mishap that added to a series of driving issues. He also underwent a highly publicized divorce with Elin Nordegren in 2010 after a sex scandal emerged.