The Kalimian family is about to have a very awkward Thanksgiving.
Albert Kalimian is suing his nephew, Eagle Point Properties principal Justin Amirian, according to a filing reported by The Daily Beast. In the suit filed in New York Supreme Court last week, Kalimian is seeking punitive and compensatory damages over claims Amirian made in an explosive email.
The feud erupted Sept. 9, when the suit says Amirian emailed seven people, including two of Kalimian’s sisters, accusing the company head of “fraud and concealment in his management of the business.”
Kalimian’s suit calls the email a “malicious and unlawful [effort] to besmirch” the head of real estate firm A&R Kalimian. It claims the message was part of “unjustified and bad faith efforts to disrupt and usurp Mr. Kalimian’s management of the highly successful family real estate business.”
The lawsuit alleges Amirian sent a “flurry of emails” designed to harass and make “unjustified” demands of his uncle in an attempt to oust Kalimian from his leadership role.
Amirian declined the outlet’s request for comment after claiming the lawsuit didn’t sound familiar. Kalimian declined to comment.
Kalimian’s eponymous firm has interests in 10 properties in Manhattan, according to SEC filings, including commercial and multifamily properties.
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Kalimian has previously been the subject of litigation. This year, one of his tenants accused him and others of ignoring complaints about harmful mold they said was growing in an apartment.
In 2014, Kalimian made negative headlines after an elderly Long Island widow tried to sell her home, only to find Kalimian had already taken possession of it. The situation was ultimately settled and the woman was able to hang on to her home.
Uncle and nephew weren’t always on opposing sides. In June, Kalimian received a $240 million loan from Citi, Wells Fargo and JPMorgan Chase to purchase a 75 percent stake in 79 Fifth Avenue, a 270,000-square-foot office building in Flatiron. Eagle Point Properties took a 25 percent stake.
The loan was Manhattan’s largest that month.
— Holden Walter-Warner