David Wildenstein asks judge to toss lawsuit over alleged UES townhouse deal

Art dealer heir David Wildenstein fired back against a lawsuit accusing him of breaking a promise to sell Len Blavatnik his family’s townhouse, claiming that a verbal agreement between the two wasn’t binding.

Wildenstein’s Attorneys Asked A Manhattan Superior Court judge to dismiss Blavatnik’s lawsuit, saying that a phone call between the two didn’t constitute a “binding agreement for a real estate transaction,” the New York Post reported. Blavatnik, owner of Warner Music, lobbed a lawsuit against Wildenstein in October, alleging that he went back on a promise to sell him a townhouse at 19 East 64th Street for $79 million. He claims Wildenstein instead used his offer to leverage a higher bid for the property. Wildenstein ultimately sold the East Side townhouse for $81 million.

Wildenstein’s attorneys argue that a “sophisticated and experienced real estate investor” like Blavatnik should know that without the agreement in writing, there’s no deal. [NYP] — Kathryn Brenzel