Avire Must Face Broker’s Texas Tort Suit Over Gulfstream Sale

A California company that leases private planes to charter companies will have to face a Houston brokerage firm’s tort suit in Texas over the sale of a jet without a flight data recorder, after a Texas court of appeals denied its anti-SLAPP motion.

Avire LLC bought a Gulfstream IV plane from Starflite B LLC. Priority 1, which is owned by Robert Tijerina, brokered the $975,000 transaction, after extensive negotiations and an inspection.

Avire, after later discovering the plane lacked a flight data recorder, filed suit in California against Priority 1. It argued the broker breached its brokerage contract and misrepresented ...