Heiress Sues Ritzy East Side Condo Board Over Penthouse Woes

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — Years after shelling out $15 million for a Fifth Avenue penthouse, a wealthy heiress appears to be having major second thoughts.

In 2009, Cristina de Heeren Noble acquired the penthouse residence at 1200 Fifth Ave., spanning the 16th through 18th floors of the condominium tower. Noble bought the apartment after the death of her mother — the "international socialite" Aimee de Heeren — which prompted Noble to sell their family mansion at 17 East 90th St., as the New York Times reported.

Noble paid less for the 6,200-square-foot space than its initial $19.5 million asking price. Notably, however, the building is on the corner of East 101st Street — above the border into East Harlem — making Noble's purchase the priciest-ever deal for an apartment above East 96th Street, according to the Times.

Sixteen years later, however, that deal has apparently soured: Noble filed suit earlier this month against the board and managers of 1200 Fifth Ave.

According to the suit, Noble's penthouse has been plagued for years by "multiple persistent and severe water leaks" that have infiltrated the ceilings and walls. The "pervasive" leaks affect multiple bedrooms, the living room, a bathroom and a "powder room" on the penthouse's two upper floors — damaging belongings and depriving Noble of "use and enjoyment of the apartment," according to the lawsuit.

The leaks have been caused in part by an accumulation of snow and ice on the apartment's roof and an adjacent terrace, a buildup of rocks in the building's drainpipe, and a failure to repair the building's facade, according to the lawsuit.

Meanwhile, as Noble's apartment has deteriorated, she accuses the building's board of engaging in "bad-faith self-dealing and discriminatory conduct" by carrying out selective repairs to their own units to prevent leaks "while willfully refusing to perform maintenance and repairs" to her penthouse.

Alleging negligence, trespassing and a breach of the building's by-laws, Noble's suit seeks $25 million in damages, plus a judge's order for the building to carry out repairs to the penthouse.

The building's manager, Solstice Residential Ggoup, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The condo board could not be reached for comment.

Noble filed the suit on behalf of a trust listed under her mother's name. Noble is a descendent of the Munn-Wanamaker family, whose fortune reportedly stems from meatpacking, racetracks and other investments.

This is not the first time Noble has made headlines in the real-estate world: in 2015, Noble sold a family mansion in Palm Beach, Fla. for $18 million to a mystery buyer later revealed to be Dr. Oz, the surgeon and future politician.