Tiger Woods 'never had tenancy agreement with ex Erica Herman'

Tiger Woods ‘never had a written or oral agreement with ex Erica Herman to allow her to live in his Florida mansion,’ his lawyers claim after she filed $30m lawsuit against him

• Herman alleged that he tricked her into leaving his home before locking her out 
• She claimed she had an ‘oral agreement’ with his trust to allow her to live there
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Tiger Woods never had a tenancy agreement – written or oral – with ex-girlfriend Erica Herman, his attorneys have said. 

Herman, 38, is suing a trust, she claims Woods, 47, controls, alleging that he tricked her into leaving the Florida mansion where they had lived together for six years following their breakup in October. 

She claimed that she had an oral agreement with Woods’s trust – the Jupiter Island Irrevocable Homestead Trust – which is the legal owner of his mansion in Hobe Sound where the two lived together, that allowed her to live at the property for 11 years.

In the lawsuit, which Woods is said to be ‘terrified’ of over concerns of ‘another scandal,’ Herman is suing the PGA Tour star’s trust for $30 million for what she claims are ‘breaches of duty’ that left her suffering ‘severe’ emotional damages.

In papers filed in October, Herman said she should have been allowed to live in the home for another five years but Woods used ‘trickery’ after breaking up with her in October.

Erica Herman alleges that Tiger Woods tricked her into leaving the Florida mansion where they had lived together for six years following their breakup in October

Woods’s lawyers said that the golf star never had an oral or written tenancy agreement with Herman to live at his $48m Florida home and that she lived at the property as a ‘guest’

Herman sued the Jupiter Island Irrevocable Homestead Trust, which owns the home in Hobe Sound she lived at with Woods for six years while they were together. Hobe Sound, which is on Jupiter Island, has been home to former presidents and A-listers 

The complaint says that she provided ‘valuable services’ at Woods’s requests as part of the ‘oral tenancy agreement,’ which gave her the right to live at the property for a ‘certain duration of time.’

But in the latest court filing in Herman’s lawsuit seen by DailyMail.com, Woods’s attorneys dispute that he never negotiated a written or oral tenancy agreement with her and that she lived at the property as a ‘guest’ of the golfing icon. 

‘During their relationship, Mr. Woods invited Ms. Herman to live with him as his guest in the Residence,’ the motion said. 

‘Mr. Woods never negotiated an oral tenancy agreement with Ms. Herman. Nor was there ever a written tenancy agreement between Mr. Woods or the Trust, on the one hand, and Ms. Herman, on the other hand. Mr. Woods never transferred to Ms. Herman any ownership interest in or rights of possession to the Residence.’

Herman alleged that former World No. 1 Woods persuaded her to go on a short vacation and when she got to the airport, his representatives told her she had been locked out.

Herman also claimed that Woods’s representatives removed $40,000 of her money and made ‘scurrilous and defamatory allegations’ about how she got the money. 

The latest motions claimed that Woods arranged for Herman to stay in a local luxury resort and gave her money to apply toward a new residence after their October breakup.

Woods and Herman were together for six years but broke up in October 2022 

The couple were last seen together at the US Open in August 2022

In the latest court filing in Herman’s lawsuit against the Jupiter Island Irrevocable Homestead Trust, Woods asked to intervene as a defendant in the case in the 19th Judicial Circuit Court in Martin County, Florida.

In the motion to intervene, the 15-time major winner’s lawyers wrote that Herman had sued the trust instead of Woods in order to avoid an agreement she had made with him to arbitrate all disputes. 

Woods’ attorneys claim the trust owns ‘only a limited remainder interest’ in his home in Jupiter, Florida, and that Herman’s grievances are against Woods and not the trust.

‘Though this action involves Mr. Woods’ personal residence and arises out of Mr. Woods’ decision that Plaintiff should no longer live in his home following the breakup, Plaintiff did not sue Mr. Woods,’ the motion to intervene said. 

‘The disputes raised by Ms. Herman in the lawsuit against the trust are, in fact, disputes between Ms. Herman and Mr. Woods.’

Herman is also taking Woods to court over an NDA she claims is being wrongfully forced upon her, citing the Speak Out Act, alleging in the bombshell lawsuit that he sexually abused her.

In the court filing to void the NDA, which she had signed with him on August 9 2017, Herman made the startling allegation that the 82-time winner on the PGA Tour had sexually abused but went into no detail as to what the alleged abuse entailed, just ticking the ‘yes’ box under the question ‘Does this case involve allegations of sexual abuse?’

The latest court filing notes that Woods started arbitration proceedings on December 22 to establish that Herman has no right to live in his residence and is not entitled to monetary damages from him.

Herman goes into no detail as to what the alleged abuse entailed, just ticking the ‘yes’ box under the question ‘Does this case involve allegations of sexual abuse?’

 Herman had worked as general manager at the restaurant owned by her boyfriend at the Genesis Open at The Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles, California

However, proceedings were halted on January 26 after Herman alleged that she cannot be compelled to arbitrate as ‘her claims alleging breach of an oral tenancy agreement involve a “sexual harassment dispute.”‘

Woods and Herman were together for six years after being first spotted at the Presidents Cup in New Jersey in October 2017.

She had worked as general manager at the restaurant – a pop-up at the Genesis Open at The Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles, California where Woods recently made his return to competitive golf for the first time since the British Open last July – owned by her boyfriend. 

Woods’s lawyers previously stated that he broke things off on October 13, 2022 and that Herman ‘responded to the breakup by filing this lawsuit.’

They added that her claiming she wants to live in the property is ‘directly adverse’ to the interests of Woods and his children, who live at the home with the professional golfer.  

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