The Riverton Houses and Larry Gluck

The new owners of the rent-stabilized Riverton Houses in Harlem that sold at auction yesterday will have to pay a hefty transfer tax of just under $4 million after they take title to the property in the next couple of days, real estate experts said. Financial firm CWCapital Asset Management, the special servicer for the loan on the 1,228-unit complex between 135th and 138th streets and Fifth Avenue and Harlem River Drive, won the property at an auction yesterday with a bid of $125 million. Since it was representing the commercial mortgage trust that held the Riverton loan, it effectively put the foreclosed property back into the hands of the lender. Tom Fink, senior vice president of Trepp, which tracks mortgage-based securities, estimated the tax liability to be $3.8 million. [more]

Riverton Houses, Steven Sinatra (top) of Greenberg Traurig, and Howard Comet (bottom) of Weil, Gotshal & Manges

Update (1:50 p.m.): David Bistricer’s Morgan Capital was the other bidder. Comments regarding and from Bistricer added.

Special servicer CWCapital Asset Management won the bidding this
morning to take title to the Riverton Houses in Harlem at a price of
$125 million, following a short bidding war with an attorney
representing a company controlled by real estate investor David Bistricer, called Morgan Capital. About 75 people, including brokers, potential buyers and residents of
the 12 13-story apartment buildings, attended the brief auction in the rotunda of the State Supreme Court building at 60 Centre Street. The property has a loan with a judgment valued at $240.6 million that is held in a
commercial mortgaged-backed security. CWCapital is the special servicer
for the loan.
[more]