Music mogul David Geffen doesn’t like the sound of a few phrases contained in a neighbor’s lawsuit. The billionaire’s attorneys asked a court to remove “scandalous and prejudicial language” from a lawsuit filed by neighbors at 785 Fifth Avenue. The language in question: “senior citizens,” “gut renovation” and “Geffen hoists.”
Last year, Howard and Gloria Schwartz, Geffen’s neighbors in the luxury co-op building, sued Geffen, alleging that renovations to his apartment caused $2 million in damage to their home. Now Geffen’s attorney William White argued that some of the words used in the couple’s complaint are unnecessary and “prejudicial.”
A particular bone of contention, according to White: Geffen never used any hoists himself and therefore they should not be described as “his.”
“I read the motion and I’m still scratching my head wondering what Mr. Geffen’s lawyer is thinking,” the couple’s attorney Steven Sladkus told the Post. “I’m stunned by the silliness of the motion.”
Geffen, a media mogul and co-founder of DreamWorks SKG, bought the penthouse in the 19-story building for $54 million in 2012. He recently picked up a $70 million Hamptons estate and sold his spare Hamptons mansion for $67 million. [NYP] – Konrad Putzier