Water Mill mansion at the center of lawsuit
An "ultrawealthy" Cantor Fitzgerald executive and his wife refuse to leave their rented Water Mill mansion even though their lease expired on May 31 and the property is up for sale, according to a lawsuit filed Friday in Suffolk County Supreme Court.
Cantor Fitzgerald chief administrative officer Paul Pion and his wife, Stephanie Pion, trashed the home with unauthorized alterations and large parties that created cesspool issues, according to the lawsuit, which also accuses the couple of failing to perform routine home maintenance as required by the lease agreement.
The Pions have engaged in "shifty" behavior to remain in the mansion and block the impending $4.97 million sale of the home, according to the lawsuit. Closing for the sale was scheduled for Monday, but the deal is now in jeopardy because the Pions, who also have an apartment on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, have refused to move out, court papers say.
The owner of the mansion, Krause Estates LLC, claims in court papers that the Pions have attempted to block the sale of the home so they can purchase it.
"Defendants are acting to disrupt the pending transaction with buyer with the desire of buying the premises once the current deal is blocked and canceled," the complaint said.
The couple has blocked showings of the home and has refused to engage with owners, according to court papers.
"The lender for buyer sent an appraiser to the house, who later stated to the broker that the house was a mess, and the occupant was crazy," the court papers said.
The lawsuit seeks to have the Pions ejected from the home, as well as breach-of-contract damages and damages for interfering in the sale of the property.
The Pions did not return requests for comment. The plaintiff’s attorney, Anthony Cummings of East Meadow, also did not immediately return requests for comment.
State law bars landlords from evicting tenants who have suffered financial or medical hardships as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, but that should not apply in this case, according to the papers.
"The COVID-19 pandemic has no bearing here since defendants have suffered no financial hardship from it," the lawsuit said.
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