Residents of Trump Place at 200 Riverside Boulevard can move forward with a vote to take the president’s name off their building.
Judge Eileen Bransten of New York State Supreme Court’s commercial division handed down the ruling Thursday morning and decided the licensing agreement for the property did not require the building residents to use it the name. Residents had gone to the court to request a judgement on whether it had the right to remove the Trump name, after Trump Organization attorney Marc Kasowitz sent a letter to the condominium board threatening legal action if they attempted to do so.
“The decision today by Judge Bransten was limited to a narrow technical issue of law, for which there is no precedent in New York,” A Trump Organization spokesperson said in a statement to The Real Deal. “While we respect Judge Bransten’s ruling, we are confident that the appeals court will conclude otherwise.”
Trump co-developed the condo building and five others at Trump Place two decades ago. The four-page licensing agreement governing the use of the Trump name was struck in 2000.
Not every Trump Place condo owner was eager to let go of the name. One resident, who manages a Russia-focused public relations company with ties to the president, filed an affidavit in support of keeping the name, alleging the condo board hijacked the voting process. [NYT] — Will Parker