Famed plastic surgeon Lenny Hochstein is dragging a Florida plant store to court, claiming that the company made off with a bunch of plants from his home, years after he paid for them, TMZ reports.
According to a new lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Lenny Hochestein says he dropped thousands of dollars on plants from Threlkel Botanicals back in 2020, but he claims the store started removing plants and trees from his Miami mansion last week while his estranged wife Lisa Hochstein was moving out.
Lenny Hochestein, who is divorcing ‘The Real Housewives of Miami’ star, claims he directly told the store and its owner, Jim Threlkel, not to take the plants from the property … but Lenny says they were removed anyway.
In the documents, Lenny is crying foul, he says removing the plants he bought amounts to theft and trespassing.
Lenny Hochestein also claims Jim acted with “felonious intent and knew he was taking property he was not entitled to.”
Lisa and Lenny’s divorce has been pretty nasty — he’s already engaged to another woman — and now Threlkel Botanicals is being pulled into the fray.
Lenny’s going after the store to get the plants back and/or damages, and he claims those damages exceed $50K!!!
A rep for Threlkel Botanicals told TMZ, “On Monday, August 28th, Jeff Sophir, owner of Jim Threlkel Botanicals, was contacted by Lisa Hochstein, a long-term client and good friend, to relocate several interior botanicals from her current residence to a new property. During the scheduled relocation, Mr. Hochstein arrived at the property, verbally berated Jim Threlkel staff and blocked their vehicle with his car while threatening to contact local law enforcement.
Instead, Mr. Sophir contacted law enforcement and they were dispatched to the property. Mr. Hochstein was ordered to leave the premises and the botanicals in question were subsequently removed.”