His disappearing act won’t fix this one. Famed magician David Copperfield is a negligent neighbor who left his ritzy Midtown penthouse in shambles — and the mess is so ridiculously bad that it threatens the building’s structural integrity, his condo board claims in a new $2.5 million lawsuit.
The Galleria condominium board attributed much of the damage to Copperfield’s own neglect — such as when “illegal and ineffective” plastic plumbing led his rooftop pool to burst in 2015, sending destructive torrents of water into homes 30 stories below. Or when a valve failed in the then-abandoned unit last December, sending another deluge into the elevator shafts, hallways and other condos, the Manhattan Supreme Court suit filed Tuesday alleges. The twin incidents — and lingering damage — may have even compromised the structural integrity of the 55-story luxury complex on East 57th Street, which Copperfield abruptly deserted in 2018.
“Rather than moving out in a safe and orderly fashion, Copperfield trashed the Unit,” the lawsuit states. “Since then, Copperfield has allowed the Unit to devolve into a state of utter disrepair.” Shocking photos attached to the suit illuminate the depths of the wreckage to the apartment — which Copperfield bought for $7.
4 million in 1997 — including several shots of paint peeling away from the walls like shucked corn husks, ceilings that appear to be crumbling and collapsing and badly-stained floors. “In fact, architects hav.