The Trump Organization is suing the estate of the man who died in a fire in his Trump Tower apartment earlier this year for unpaid condo and maintenance fees, court filings show.
Todd Brassner perished when an electrical fire engulfed his 50th-floor unit in Trump Tower in April. Brassner was a long-time resident of Trump Tower and worked as an art dealer. He amassed a collection of instruments and art worth millions, none of which survived the blaze.
Brassner's apartment was not equipped with smoke alarms or sprinklers due in large part to now-President Donald Trump's opposition to having them installed in the 1990's. He claimed the $4 per foot cost was too much.
Now, in a lawsuit filed with the New York Supreme Court, the Residential Board of Trump Tower Condominium is suing Brassner's estate for $64,000 in unpaid condo fees and an additional $25,000 "legal fees and expenses incurred" by the Board.
The filing states:
"By reason of the foregoing, there is now due, and owing to the Condominium the sum of $64,640.34 as of September 24, 2018, as well as additional common charges and additional common charges which will or may come due during the pendency of this action."
In addition:
"As a result, Plaintiff is entitled to a money judgment in an amount to be determined at trial, but believed to be at least $25,000.00."
Twitter thinks this is a dirty move, even for Trump.
Others weren't surprised because it's Trump.
Trump: too cheap to put in sprinkler - deregulation in action since they are not required by law in New York City residential buildings. Trump lobbied against a law that would have required retrofitting buildings with fire safety systems.
The building had previously taken out a lien on Brassner's unit after he defaulted on common charges and declared bankruptcy. The lien was filed in May 2018 - a month after his death.
Brassner had also been making unsuccessful attempts at selling the apartment; the election of Trump and the heightened security in and around Trump Tower made it difficult to find buyers.
Thus, Trump and Brassner had a history of feuding. Trump once referred to Brassner as "that crazy Jew," while Brassner told a friend Trump is the “worst thing for our country” and a “terrible, lowlife human being,” according to the New York Daily News.
In addition to Brassner's death, six others were injured in the fire. Given how Trump and Brassner sparred, a post-humous lawsuit shouldn't come as a shock. After all, Trump loves suing people.
