Courtney Love Claims She Hasn’t Fallen Behind on Rent for NYC Townshouse

A day after a report surfaced claiming that Courtney Love was being evicted from her New York townhouse for causing property damage and falling behind on her rent, Love has responded with her side of the story.

As you might imagine, Love takes issue with the notion that she's an irresponsible tenant. In fact, she insists that the whole thing is a ruse perpetrated by an unscrupulous landlord who's trying to drum up publicity in order to increase the value of the building.

"I haven’t fallen behind on the rent," Love tells the New York Post. "I have been paying month to month as agreed. My rent is current, but the owner is now asking for the remaining two months’ upfront. Even though it’s not required, I’d happily pay that and another six months’ rent upfront if she would extend the lease for six months."

Responding to allegations that she ruined the townhouse's vintage decor by painting over the walls without permission, Love insisted, "I have repainted, but I asked permission, and used a painter approved by the owner."

But just when it seemed like Love might be ready to launch into a profane tirade about the whole situation, her lawyer stepped in to ruin the fun with a bunch of buttoned-down legalese. "I am unaware of any suit concerning alterations to the townhouse," said Eric D. Sherman, lamenting the way the dispute was brought to the press. "It’s unfortunate that Miss Lyon and her attorney chose to attack my client unfairly in the press, and we will deal with that accordingly. What we won’t do is respond in a similarly inappropriate manner."

Undeterred by Love's counter-claims, the landlord's attorney insisted that their lawsuit will continue as planned. "There are two disputes: One is the rent nonpayment issue, which will be heard in court on Dec. 21. The other is the issue with the redecoration," reiterated lawyer Norman Flitt. "If Courtney Love doesn’t restore the property to its original condition by the end of the lease on Feb. 14, we have the right to sue her for damages. We didn’t give consent for them to do what they did to the house. It doesn’t matter what painter they used. They should be telling you what they are doing to fix it."