This week: wasteful waifs, a whiff of weed, and selling condos in the Talladega Nights.
Nice Joint
Talk about green apartments. Investigating a huge increase in electricity billings, a property owner and manager in the United Kingdom discovered a resident had literally converted his flat to a "garden apartment" by growing $202,000 worth of marijuana plants in the unit. On a routine repair call to his rental community in Caerleon, South Wales, during the first week of March, landlord John Leaver discovered that his master electrical meter had been tampered with and locks had also been changed on the unit. Using a ladder to peer into an upper-level window, Leaver spotted the plants sitting under 50 fluorescent lights. Leaver also briefly spotted the resident, who fled the scene. Police, who are still searching for the resident, reaffirmed to Leaver the importance of resident screening and regular property visits, both of which should be codified into the lease.
Reality Check
While New York City-based Gotham Organization continues a track a record of success providing residency to contestants on the Project Runway reality TV show, other Manhattan property owners are finding that TV partnerships can quickly become unreal. According to reports in the New York Post, the 14 female contestants on America's Next Top Model trashed a $6 million TriBeca loft during 10 weeks of taping that recently concluded for the latest season of the show hosted by former supermodel Tyra Banks. Unnamed sources connected to property owner Michael Marvisi tell the Post's "Page Six" gossip column that the crew punched hundreds of holes in the ceiling to hang lighting equipment while contestants ruined a $15,000 chandelier, stained walls and draperies with food and lipstick, and flooded the bathroom beyond repair. The show also skipped out on a $1,500 electricity bill, sources say, adding that a settlement offer for $125,000 was proffered by the show's production company Anisa Productions. Both Anisa and Banks had no comment to the Post.
Pole Position
Forget Ricky Bobby. NASCAR's own five-time most popular driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. was the first to plop down a deposit on a unit at The Legacy Condominiums at Talladega, a gated condo community just minutes from the Talladega speedway, site of five of Earnhardt's 17 NASCAR Sprint Cup victories.
The gated community-marketed exclusively to NASCAR racers, pit crews, sponsors, and die-hard fans-offers luxury condos priced between $300,000 and $500,000 and features amenities including golf cart charging stations, two in-ground pools, and on-site security during races. "I am excited to be the first purchaser of a Legacy Condominium at Talladega," said Earnhardt in a statement released by community realtor RE/MAX United. "I enjoy coming to Talladega. It's one of my favorite race tracks because we've had so much success there. I love the area, and I love the fans there. I look forward to enjoying the place and all it has to offer."
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