Especially when Donald Trump gets personally involved, high-end New York City real estate can play out like a surreal fairytale. And today the story of Eugenia Kaye, who pitted herself against the big-haired real estate mogul and his son at Trump Place’s 220 Riverside Boulevard tower, has come to its epic end.
A year since she publicly declared war against Donald Trump Jr., kicking him off his home-court condo board at 220 Riverside, city records show that Ms. Kaye, the ex-wife of American History X filmmaker Tony Kaye, has left the building with a flourish. Her 2,318-square-foot Trump Place apartment has sold to Bruce Willis for $4.26 million.
But he didn’t pay all cash, like a Hollywood guy should. The actor, who bought the apartment as the trustee of The Bruce Willis Family Trust, took out a $3.408 million mortgage.
One hopes that he’ll have a better time in the building than Ms. Kaye. Last October she reportedly sent letters to her building’s 420 apartments, describing complaints against the board, led by the younger Trump: For example, the board apparently spent $80,000 on office supplies and miscellany.
The seven-person condo board was replaced, and Ms. Kaye became board president! “Donnie Trump’s face went white,” a resident told The Post then. But of course young Mr. Trump then sued Ms. Kaye for a reported $50 million. Plus, he said she hit a building manager at the building’s holiday party, though she was not charged.
In July, when The Observer reported that Ms. Kaye had bought a $2.171 million apartment on West 18th Street, the elder Trump said: “I feel sorry for the people in the building she’s going to.”
On the bright side for Ms. Kaye, she paid $2,362,340 for her 220 Riverside apartment in August 2003, so she nearly doubled her money on her sale to the Willis family. Considering the circumstances, the action hero should have haggled.
