Tuesday, 23 April 2013

American Singer, Lauryn Hill Can't Pay House Rent

Former Fugees singer Lauryn Hill's sentencing for tax evasion in the US has been postponed after she failed to make the repayments. Lauryn Hill is allegedly being sued for eviction by the landlord of her rented New Jersey mansion.

TMZ reports that the troubled R&B star 'stopped making payments' on her mansion in the South Orange area of the state last month.

The landlord is reported to have taken the case to court to demand that the five-times Grammy-award winner pays her bill or else be thrown off the property.
Hill, who has six children, is said to have been renting the plush pad - situated in her hometown - since 2009.

The troubled 37-year-old singer for the Fugees previously pleaded guilty for failing to file tax returns from 2005 to 2007, a period when she earned $1.8m.
Hill recently filed court documents seeking leniency in her upcoming sentencing for tax evasion.

Magistrate Judge Madeline Cox Arleo criticised Hill for not making an effort to pay the taxes calling it a "criminal matter".

The Killing Me Softly singer stopped paying taxes 'when she withdrew from society at large due to what she perceived as manipulation and very real threats to herself and her family,' according to court documents obtained by TMZ.

The hip-hop artist did not elaborate on the perceived threats.

She faces a maximum one-year sentence on each of three counts of tax evasion, plus fines.

The little-seen singer did not speak and left the court without commenting.

"This is not someone who stands before the court penniless,'' Judge Arleo said to Hill's lawyer, Nathan Hochman.

"Actions speak louder than words, and there has been no effort here to pay these taxes,'' she added.

It was revealed in court that Hill has paid $50,000 (£32,853) of the $500,000 (£328,530) she promised to pay when she was charged with wilfully failing to file income tax returns.

"I fully expect that by 3 May, Ms Hill will be able to pay back all the restitution she has,'' Hochman said.

The singer could face up to 36 months in prison when she is sentenced on 6 May.
Hill started her career with Grammy-award winning hip hop group Fugees alongside Wyclef Jean and Pras Michel.

She released her acclaimed solo debut album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, in 1998 which won five Grammy awards and sold over 19 million copies worldwide

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