Oscar-winning actress Faye Dunaway is fighting eviction from her New York City apartment. While we certainly don’t think of forced relocations when we think of celebrities, but it does happen.
Dunaway, 70, is being sued by her landlord who is trying to evict her from her one-bedroom apartment located on East 78th Street in Manhattan. However, there is an interesting twist in why the landlord might want to force Ms. Dunaway to move out – it is a rent-controlled apartment.
Basically, the lease was up in July so the landlord went ahead with the lawsuit. In New York City, an apartment may be rent-controlled only if the person renting the place lives in the apartment as their primary residence, not as a second home.
Dunaway’s landlord claims that the actress does not live in New York City primarily. Evidence against her includes her California driver’s license and an additional home in West Hollywood.
Lawyers from Dunaway’s camp claim that the New York City apartment is her primary residence but she has been spending less and less time there due to water damage that hasn’t been properly taken care of. Of course, the landlord disagrees.
The actress refuses to move out of the apartment willingly.
Dunaway has maintained the New York apartment since 1994 and pays only $1,048.72 each month in rent. If the landlord wins this lawsuit, he or she could stand to earn more than twice that each month if she moves out.
Jon Huser
