Does Dave Hester owe A&E a bundle in legal fees? Yuuuup.





The former "Storage Wars" star -- who's suing A&E Networks and "Storage Wars" production company Original Productions in a complaint that claims the show is staged --- was ordered to pay $122,692 in legal fees to A&E and Original, after they prevailed in an anti-SLAPP motion.

Also read: 'Storage Wars' Lawsuit: A&E Wins Partial Victory

In a tentative ruling, Hester was ordered to pay $96,735 to A&E and $25,957 to Original.

On the bright side for Hester, it could have been worse. A&E originally asked for $138,194, while Original wanted $43,283.

Also read: 'Storage Wars' Star Brandi Passante Gets Pittance in Porn Video Lawsuit

The reduction came after Hester objected to the claims regarding the staffing and hours that A&E and Original claimed to have expended on the motion. A&E said it had employed eight attorneys and four paralegals for the motion, while Original said it had used three attorneys.

Also read: 'Storage Wars' Death: Mark Balelo Committed Suicide, Medical Examiner Confirms

Hester sued A&E and Original in December, claiming that he had been fired for complaining that the show had been rigged. Specifically, Hester alleges, the show's producers plant valuable items in storage lockers, which competitors then bid on, supposedly without knowing what's inside them.

Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.

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