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A converted 19th century bookbindery tucked on a quiet stretch of cobblestone in Manhattan\u2019s Tribeca neighborhood,\u00a0443 Greenwich St.<\/a>\u00a0has attracted more than its share of bold-faced names since its first condos hit the market in 2016.<\/p>\n Harry Styles<\/a>,\u00a0Justin Timberlake,\u00a0Jennifer Lawrence,\u00a0Jake Gyllenhaal,\u00a0Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively and\u00a0Meg Ryan\u00a0have all reportedly owned lofts there.\u00a0Bill Gates\u2019 daughter, Jennifer, last year reportedly bought race car driver\u00a0Lewis Hamilton\u2019s penthouse for $51 million.<\/p>\n But along with the lap pool, Turkish bath, wine cellar and an underground garage widely hailed as \u201cpaparazzi-proof,\u201d the building also has a leaky roof, walls that are \u201cliterally falling apart\u201d and a host of other problems, the condo board representing owners claims. They\u2019ve been suing the building\u2019s architect, John Cetra, and its developer, Nathan Berman, for more than two years now.<\/p>\n In their most recent\u00a0complaint<\/a>, filed in New York state court in July, the owners asked for a total of $376 million, much of it in punitive damages, for 11 claims, including breach of contract and negligence. Lawyers not involved in the case say many of the claims are duplicative, and that the suit is really seeking around $100 million. That\u2019s in line with the $250 million that owners at\u00a0432 Park Ave.<\/a>, a much-larger luxury condo tower also allegedly\u00a0beset<\/a>\u00a0by leaks and other issues, are seeking in their\u00a0suit<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cDefendants heavily marketed the building as meticulously renovated apartments of unparalleled luxury, while charging millions of dollars \u2014 sometimes tens of millions per unit to customers,\u201d the 443 Greenwich board claims. Instead, \u201cdefects and code violations are present throughout the building.\u201d According to the suit, an independent inspector found some parts of the building were \u201cunsafe,\u201d even \u201clife-threatening.\u201d<\/p>\n Cetra\u2019s firm,\u00a0CetraRuddy<\/a>, declined to comment. A spokesperson for Berman\u2019s firm, Metro<\/a> Loft, which is\u00a0known<\/a>\u00a0for converting commercial buildings into luxury residences, also declined to comment. The defendants have denied the allegations in court filings.<\/p>\n Though suits pitting condo owners against developers over construction defects have become common in recent years, the war at 443 Greenwich stands out for the prominence of its residents, the amount the board is seeking and how far the suit has progressed. Depositions in the case are scheduled to take place this month, and a hearing is scheduled for next week.<\/p>\n Disputes often arise because the sponsors want to minimize their costs before they hand over building management to unit owners, said Mark Levine, a principal at the property management firm EBMG. At 443 Greenwich, board control was transferred in 2019.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you\u2019re looking at a completely sponsor-controlled board, and you have an option between a $100,000 replacement of a component versus a $10,000 repair that\u2019s only going to last two years, you may find that they\u2019re going to spend the least amount possible to kick the can down the road,\u201d said Levine, who isn\u2019t involved in the case.<\/p>\n He said luxury buildings\u2019 complex architecture often made them more vulnerable to problems, while their use of specialized materials made those issues more expensive to address.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not clear which celebrities currently live at 443 Greenwich, but Gyllenhaal was originally included in a list of those set for March depositions. The\u00a0Donnie Darko<\/em>\u00a0star was omitted from a more recent schedule.<\/p>\n Much of the board\u2019s suit focuses on the building\u2019s eight penthouses, which were each designed with more than 5,000 square feet (465 square meters) of interior space and more than 1,000 square feet of outdoor space. Though the rest of the building dates to 1883, the top level was entirely new construction. Two penthouse owners reported leaks in 2020, but the developer failed to take action, according to the suit. A subsequent inspection allegedly revealed that the leaks were just the beginning.<\/p>\n \u201cThe defects were not just limited to the penthouses but could be found in nearly every aspect of the building,\u201d the board claims.<\/p>\n According to the suit, shoddily laid bricks in the penthouse and parapet walls allow moisture to collect. At a 2022 hearing, a lawyer for the board,\u00a0Claude Szyfer, said parapet bricks were so loose that residents could pull them out. Defective and improperly installed waterproofing also allegedly contributes to leaking.<\/p>\n Water is an issue as well in the building\u2019s planted courtyard. Touted in the building\u2019s marketing as \u201ca secret garden, removed from the public noise of the city,\u201d the space lacks a \u201cproperly functioning drainage system,\u201d according to the suit.<\/p>\n \u201cAs a result, the courtyard floods during times of heavy rain, damaging the building,\u201d the owners claim. The suit also describes defects in fire safety, an insufficient electric switchboard, unventilated interior bathrooms and excessive noise in many areas, among other issues.<\/p>\n Charles Pierce, a construction lawyer with\u00a0Rosenberg & Estis<\/a>\u00a0who\u2019s not involved in the 443 Greenwich dispute, said the damages requested by the owners far exceed what\u2019s typical. He said he\u2019s worked on defect cases involving similar-sized buildings where the board sought around $10 million.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople can claim any amount they want,\u201d Pierce said, \u201cbut it doesn\u2019t mean they\u2019re owed anything.\u201d<\/p>\n Sales at 443 Greenwich don\u2019t seem to have been hurt by the allegations. StreetEasy\u00a0shows<\/a>\u00a0two units in contract, including a penthouse listed for $28 million.<\/p>\n Jeremy Stein, a Sotheby\u2019s broker, said he dug into the court filings and conducted his own inspection but found no reason to advise a client against buying a $36 million penthouse there last year.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a little much ado about nothing,\u201d said Stein.<\/p>\n\nMarch Depositions<\/h3>\n
Water Damage<\/h3>\n
\u2018Much Ado About Nothing\u2019<\/h3>\n