'That's all' for mansion

Public auction set; lawyer Barton says he's selling estate

PROVO — A foreclosure auction has been announced for the multimillion-dollar Alpine mansion of attorney Keith Barton, known for his "One Call. That's All" ads.

However, Barton said he plans to sell the house by the end of the year.

In legal notices published in several Utah newspapers Monday, Bank of America announced it will hold a public auction on Jan. 9 for Barton's 9.25-acre Alpine property.

James Jones, the trustee managing the sale on behalf of Bank of America, said Barton defaulted on payments for two loans of $8.5 million and $2 million for which the property was collateral.

Barton disputed the bank's foreclosure action.

"We have decided to sell our home since the breakup of my firm with my former partners. It has been our intention to sell the house in order to help resolve those problems created by the breakup. We've received several offers, and the house is currently set to close before the end of December," Barton said.

He declined to say how much the property is being sold for.

The asking price of Barton's property is $14.9 million, according to a Coldwell Banker agent's Web site.

The Web site also describes the seven-bedroom, 13-bathroom home as a "pure work of art" that includes a "gourmet kitchen, ballroom, salon, carved in gold leaf detail, mosaic marble, original stain glass, antique billiard bar, as well as a stream with a covered bridge, amphitheater, pool with formal balustrading, granite stone pathways, barn, loft and greenhouse."

Barton parted ways with his founding partner, Buddy W. Gregory, and managing attorney Craig Swapp of the former Lehi law firm of Gregory, Barton & Swapp in July.

The breakup came after a management dispute erupted in March over large debts allegedly incurred by Barton through loans secured against the company's assets.

The law firm, now renamed Gregory & Swapp, is taking over management of 1,500 personal injury cases. Barton's new law firm, Keith Barton and Associates, is managing 4,200 product liability cases, including those for fen-phen and Vioxx in conjunction with Houston-based Williams Bailey, the lead law firm spearheading those cases nationally.

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