*Salahis surrender expensive watch to satisfy judgment

Click Here to Recommend Story View larger image Tareq and Michaele Salahi leave the Warren County Courthouse after their court appearance on Friday in Front Royal. Andrew Thayer/Daily

By Ben Orcutt -- borcutt@nvdaily.com

FRONT ROYAL -- Tareq Salahi walked out of Warren County General District Court without his Patek Philippe Geneve watch, which a judge ruled he must turn over to be sold to satisfy a judgment by a county man.

Salahi and his wife, Michaele, have garnered national attention after making it past the Secret Service without an invitation for a state dinner President Obama held in honor of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. More than 300 guests attended the Nov. 24 event.

The now famous couple's smiles turned to frowns as they walked out of the courthouse on Friday following interrogatories regarding a judgment that Mike Dunbar has against them for $2,063.35 from last year for the Salahis not paying him for mowing their grass at their Warren County home at 440 Scenic Overlook Drive, east of the Front Royal town limits, off Va. 55.

Following lengthy questioning by Dunbar's attorney, J. Daniel Pond III, of the Front Royal law firm of Pond, Athey, Athey & Pond, Pond returned to court and asked that Judge W. Dale Houff order Salahi to leave the watch with the court to sell to satisfy the debt. Houff agreed. David Silek, of the Manassas law firm of Ours & Silek, said the watch is worth much more than the amount of the judgment and that an arrangement would have to be made to return whatever amount the watch is sold for in excess of the judgment.

The Salahis exited the courthouse with local and national media clicking away with cameras and reporters asking a multitude of questions, with no response from either one of them. As they approached their 2006 Audi in the Peyton Street Parking Lot, the Salahis discovered they had been given a ticket for an expired inspection sticker.

Flanked by his attorney, Dunbar said following the court proceeding that he just wants to get on with his life and get the money the Salahis owe him.

"I've been mowing grass here in the county for five years and I've only had two people that have not paid me and they're one of those," Dunbar said. "Everybody that I mow grass for now has to sign an extensive contract."

Dunbar said he never thought in a million years that when he accepted the job of mowing the Salahis' grass, that one day he'd be in the national spotlight, which he'll be happy to relinquish.

"Yes I will," Dunbar said.

"And we'll be happy if we get a call tomorrow that there's a check for that amount of money and we'll be happy to return back the watch over to them without having to go through the sale because that's another hassle and expense to go through that process," Pond said.

For further developments, visit nvdaily.com or read the print edition of The Northern Virginia Daily.

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