Fight Over the Sale of Norman Mailer's Heights Apartment

The would-be buyer of Norman Mailer’s former Brooklyn Heights apartment wants to be released from his contract to buy the top-floor pad at 142 Columbia Heights for $2.08 million. According to the Times, one of the things that most attracted hedge fund manager Wesley Golby to the space was its unusual layout, but that very selling point is now the reason he wants out: “Mailer, seeking to conquer a lifelong fear of heights, essentially had the roof lifted up to create a tri-level crow’s nest of sorts. A series of ladders lead up several flights, with landings and small rooms resembling tiny ship galleys on each level. But after Mr. Golby signed the contract, he contends, the Mailer estate failed to provide evidence to back up assurances that the work had been done legally and in accordance with zoning laws and building codes.” A lawyer for the Mailer estate says Golby’s second thoughts about the purchase are “simply a case of buyer’s remorse.” It’s unclear from DOB records whether Mailer’s renovations from the early ’60s are OK as far as the city is concerned.
True to Mailer’s Life, a Brawl Over the Sale of His Brooklyn Heights Apartment [NY Times]