Actor Chris Pine is suing a townhouse developer after negotiations for the short-term rental of one of his Cobble Hill projects fell apart.
The lawsuit, which Pine filed in a New York court on Monday, accuses Eckstrom Development’s Carlos Saavedra of failing to return $100,000 in fees that the Star Trek star claims he paid while the two were negotiating a seven-week lease for the property at 487 Henry Street.
Pine began discussing the potential lease with Saavedra in June, with the aim of taking over the furnished property on the morning of July 5th, according to the complaint. As the two went back and forth over the terms, Pine alleges that he received instructions from Saavedra to wire $50,000 as a security deposit and $50,000 for the first month’s rent.
In the lawsuit, Pine states he sent Saavedra the money, including a $25,000 pet deposit — an allegedly illegal fee, which Pine claims Saavedra later returned. However, the developer did not return Pine’s security deposit or first month’s rent check even after the rental deal collapsed.
“Owner has offered no contract, no consideration, and no reason of any kind for keeping the money, because there is none,” the complaint states. “Lacking any cognizable justification for its retention by Owner, this Court should compel the funds’ return to Pine.”
In a statement, an attorney representing Saavedra, Russell Wolfson, referred to the claims as a “private contractual matter” and said the lawsuit “tells only one side and does not reflect the complete story.”
“Mr. Saavedra is confident it will be resolved through the appropriate channels,” he added.
The lawsuit, which also names the Brooklyn townhouse’s ownership entity, 487 Henry LLC, as a defendant, seeks the return of the $100,000, as well as damages and attorney fees.
Eric Sherman, an attorney representing Pine, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Saavedra and his wife, Nicole Eckstrom, founded Eckstrom Development eight years ago. While the couple launched their development careers by converting condos, they later shifted their focus to turning multifamily properties in some of Brooklyn’s most desirable neighborhoods into single-family townhouses.
Since then, many of the duo’s flips have snagged pricey deals, including one at 170 Clinton Street in Brooklyn Heights, which closed for $14 million earlier this year. Around the same time, the couple announced they were expanding their footprint to Manhattan, starting with properties in Greenwich Village and the West Village.
The developers bought the property at the center of the lawsuit for $4.65 million in 2024 and put it on the market in April with a $14.3 million asking price. They also listed the home for rent in June with a $69,500 monthly rate.
The home has five bedrooms and four bathrooms spread across five stories and nearly 6,300 square feet. It includes 2,000 square feet of outdoor space, including a garden and rooftop terrace. It also features a gym with a sauna and cold plunge, as well as two outdoor kitchens.
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