You might have caught the article in the Sunday Times about the drama going on amongst real estate agents along Cape Town’s Atlantic Seaboard. In a nutshell, Lew Geffen, the founder of Sotheby’s International Realty Franchises, has a franchise agreement with two gentlemen, Hugo Jankowitz and Rob Stefanutto. They’ve run the Atlantic Seaboard franchise since 2007. But now Lew is angry because they apparently bought into a small competitor’s operation, by the name of Dogon Group Properties. No stranger to controversy, owner Denise Dogon has previously made headlines for a legal battle she had with a local real estate tycoon, as well as for doing business with an African dictator‘s family.

Mr. Geffen launched an urgent application to cancel the franchise agreement in the high court. Geffen is also launching a R3,5-million damages claim against Jankowitz, alleging breach of the franchise agreement. He announced this week that the Atlantic seaboard franchise would be relaunched under new management by Dogon’s former business partner turned nemesis, Gail Gavrill, who has found great success with her international property portfolio. You can read the rest of that Sunday times article here.

But now things seem to have gone to the next level, with a website having been setup targeting Lew Geffen and alleging that his business practices are far from kosher… We were sent the link anonymously and it seems the website also shows up if you Google the words “lew geffen scandal.”

The website is very neatly setup and has definitely been made or commissioned by someone who not only harbours a grudge against Lew Geffen, but someone with a great understanding of search engine marketing. Apart from displaying an image of Lew’s wife wearing a T-shirt with crude wording, the blog seems to chronicle a number of previous headlines freely available on the internet – including some to do with accusations of racism. They have even setup a Facebook page and a Twitter account.

The following has now been revealed:

Lew Geffen Sotheby’s International obtained an ex parte order in the Cape Town High Court on Tuesday 17 October 2011 that placed Lew Geffen Sotheby, the Franchisor, in immediate control of the prestigious franchise on the Atlantic Sea Board in Cape Town. On Friday 21 October 2011, the order was thrown out of Court by the same Judge who had been hood winked by Lew Geffen’s council after presenting false testimony in order for Lew Geffen to lay his hands on the pearl franchise of in the Sotheby’s stable.

Dr Hugo Jankowitz, the main investor in the Atlantic Sea Board Sotheby’s franchise, has decided to intervene personally in the dispute over the ownership, saying that he can’t just sit on the sidelines as Lew Geffen takes over his and Rob Stefanutto’s franchise which Stefanutto built up over the past 4 years to become the highly successful operation that it is today. Jankowitz said it was about time the keys facts of the matter were put into context.

More here.