David Copperfield accused of trashing $7 million NYC penthouse, sued by condo board – National
David Copperfield He may be a master illusionist, but no amount of magic will make this mess go away.
A new lawsuit has been filed against Copper field He claims the famous magician was a negligent neighbor who left his luxury New York penthouse in such a state of disrepair that it threatened the structural integrity of the building.
The lawsuit, worth US$2.5 million (C$3.4 million), was filed by the board of directors of the Galleria Condominium, a 55-story luxury building in midtown Manhattan.
The board alleges that after Copperfield bought the condo in 1997 for about $7.4 million, he filled it with arcade games, fortune-telling machines and other items such as “hazing devices apparently used by various fraternities around the turn of the century.”
Photos included in the filing show a dirty bathtub, stained carpet and chipped and decaying walls and ceilings. The board claims Copperfield failed to perform proper maintenance and upkeep of the unit and allowed it to “fall into complete disrepair” after moving in in 2018.
The bathtub in David Copperfield’s abandoned apartment, empty since 2018.
New York Supreme Court
“Rather than leaving the unit in a safe and orderly manner, Copperfield trashed the unit,” the complaint states. “Since then, Copperfield has allowed the unit to fall into a state of total disrepair.”
Latest news from Canada and around the world
sent to your email address, as it happens.
Get the latest national news
For news that impacts Canada and the world, sign up to receive breaking news alerts directly when it happens.
“In fact, the architects have warned the condominium that, among other things, the Copperfield apartment contains unrepaired water damage that is so severe that it poses risks to the “concrete structure of the building,” facilitates mold growth, and actively endangers the other apartments.”
Significant damage to ceiling and walls.
New York Supreme Court
Copperfield still owns the penthouse, although he transferred ownership to a shell company he owns shortly after purchasing it.
The complaint also accuses the 67-year-old of causing damage not only to his own “once-immaculate multi-level penthouse,” but also to the homes of other tenants. After his rooftop pool burst in 2015 due to “illegal and inefficient” plastic plumbing, torrents of water damaged the condos on the 30 floors below, according to the filing.
Last December, a valve reportedly failed in the then-abandoned unit, sending more water into other condos, hallways and the building’s elevator shaft.
Stains and significant damage to the condo carpets.
New York Supreme Court
The complaint explains that the residence is so large that it is serviced by its own heating, ventilation, hot water and electrical systems. The equipment is not used by other tenants and the building’s rules impose responsibility on the unit owner for the maintenance and repair of these systems.
His motivation for destroying his own apartment and letting it fall into disrepair, the complaint said, “is completely unclear, especially when he still owns the unit and is listing it for sale.”
Further damage is visible on the ceilings.
New York Supreme Court
A Copperfield representative told the New York Post that the issues boiled down to “a simple insurance claim“and that the photographs presented in the complaint “do not reflect the current state of the apartment.”
The condo board said an architectural firm hired to assess the damage this year “confirmed its worst fears.” However, it added that Copperfield had only addressed the cosmetic problems with “makeshift repairs.”
“Many of the most significant and dangerous issues, such as basement degradation/damage, structural stability and mold growth, remain unaddressed.”
© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
