The New York Times reports today on a lawsuit over the sale of the late Norman Mailer’s 142 Columbia Heights co-op:
NY Times: In July, Wesley Golby, a hedge fund manager, signed a contract to purchase the apartment for $2.08 million, and he put down a deposit of $208,750.
For Mr. Golby, the appeal was not just the apartment’s sweeping views of the Manhattan skyline and its storied history, but also the highly unusual layout that resulted from a renovation performed in the early 1960s, according to Mr. Golby’s lawyer, William Fried.
Mailer, seeking to conquer a lifelong fear of heights, essentially had the roof lifted up to create a tri-level crow’s nest of sorts. A series of ladders lead up several flights, with landings and small rooms resembling tiny ship galleys on each level.
But after Mr. Golby signed the contract, he contends, the Mailer estate failed to provide evidence to back up assurances that the work had been done legally and in accordance with zoning laws and building codes.
He wants to be released from his contract and get his deposit back, according to a civil complaint to be filed in State Supreme Court in Brooklyn on Wednesday.
“This is not about money,” Mr. Fried said. “Wes loved the apartment. His problem is he loved that apartment as it is and he does not want to go in and find out he can’t have the apartment he wants.”
