His attorney, Jeffrey Fisher, told the Mirror: “Mr and Mrs Bates’ plan to hold Phil Collins’ house as hostage to leverage a settlement during a protracted court case was upended by the new judge’s bold decision to complete the injunction hearing next week.
“With the delay tactic failing, they agreed to vacate by mid-January and to allow Phil’s realtor to market and sell the property between now and the date they leave.
“Mrs Bates’ lawsuit claiming a 50 per cent interest in the house based upon an alleged oral agreement will continue, but we have no doubt that it too will come to a quick and conclusive end once the judge hears the true facts about what occurred.”
Orianne had claimed that the Miami house was just as much hers as it was his, despite the fact that they’d divorced and she had remarried.