Things are about to get a tad more delicious around here, friends. The State Legislature approved a bill to make all co-op sales in the city public record, and Gov. Pataki is expected to sign it into law. So what does this mean for us? The possibilities are endless. Imagine billionaire moguls seen as financial geniuses being outed as jipped over-payers. No more will they be able to keep their deals hidden away from the prying eyes of the William Neumans and Braden Keils and Michael Calderones of the world.
It won't just be the notable people, either. Let's say we're moving into 834 Fifth Avenue, and we want to know what our wacky neighbor Mrs. Gotrocks?who has the biggest collection of Impressionist paintings in the world?paid for her similarly-sized co-op. Brown Harris Stevens prez Hall Willkie explains: "We already know too much about each other, and people don't like that. There's identity theft, there's security. Now people are going to know that Mrs. Gotrocks, who has the biggest collection of Impressionist paintings in the world, lives at 834 Fifth Avenue and she paid $10 million for that apartment." OK, guess we don't have to wait for the law for that one.
· That Co-op Next Door? Bill May Give Its Sale Price [NYT]