The jury’s in: Judge Judy Sheindlin just laid down $6.75 million for an 11th-floor apartment at the swanky Sherry Netherland co-op at 781 Fifth Avenue. Although Ms. Sheindlin declined to comment through her publicist, it is presumed that this two-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom corner apartment will act as a pied-à-terre for the TV judge, who ranked 13th on Forbes’ list of highest-earning women in 2007. According to her Web site, “although production takes place in Los Angeles, Ms. Sheindlin lives in Florida where she enjoys working out daily, traveling, spending time with her 11 grandchildren, snorkeling, antiquing and, of course, bargain shopping.”
And bargain-shop she did.
According to the Web site StreetEasy, the apartment was listed six months ago through Corcoran for $7.999 million. City records show that Ms. Sheindlin bought the apartment at a 19 percent discount from that asking price.
So who sold Judge Judy the apartment, and why with such a hearty price cut?
Deeds show that Ms. Sheindlin bought the apartment from a trust that names attorney Stanley N. Bergman as trustee. Mr. Bergman, a partner at Withers Bergman, was unavailable for comment, leaving the case open.
The fully renovated apartment comes complete with a maid’s room on the sixth floor. The Corcoran listing, which was taken down in the summer, advertised the apartment as a “divinely unique corner masterpiece” with a “gracious layout.” There is a wood-paneled library—for any extra copies of Ms. Sheindlin’s four New York Times best sellers—and the living room, which has southern views of Fifth Avenue and western views of Central Park, “is sun splashed all day.” If she hurries, the TV judge can catch the Fifth Avenue snowflakes from her window.
Ms. Sheindlin, who has been married three times—twice to current husband, People’s Court judge Jerry Sheindlin—has quite a brood: She and Mr. Sheindlin have five children and 11 grandchildren. Thus the homes in Greenwich, Conn.; Naples, Fla.; Los Angeles; and Manhattan (plus a yacht called Her Honor).
Having had her contract recently extended to 2012-2013, which will be the show’s 17th season, Ms. Sheindlin, it seems, will have to continue her twice-monthly transcontinental commute—on her private jet—for filming.
Ms. Sheindlin has said that before she made it to TV, she was planning to retire on a civil servant’s pension of around $40,000 a year. It seems safe to say that her actual retirement will be a bit more comfortable—her net worth is rumored at $95 million—especially in that sun-splashed living room at the Sherry-Netherland, where a suite in the hotel portion runs $1,259 a night.
Cityfile had news of the sale on Monday.
cmalle@observer.com
