Sunday, July 3, 2011

The Donald vs. Bank of America. I'm betting on Trump.

From The Wall Street Journal:
In the history of rapid wealth loss, Patricia Kluge stands apart. Once married to one of America's richest men, she won a divorce settlement in 1990 worth more than $100 million and proceeded to spend it on her lifestyle and business ventures. She was forced to sell off her Cartier diamonds, Givenchy gowns and silk drapes before declaring personal bankruptcy in June.

Yet the Fall of the House of Kluge has been a windfall for one man: Donald Trump.

As Ms. Kluge's empire collapsed, Mr. Trump bought. Over the past six months, he swooped in and picked up many of the pieces of her palatial Virginia estate and winery. He bought the 1,000-acre vineyard and winery for a fraction of their original value. He bought 200 acres nearby for less than $500,000, with help from Ms. Kluge and her son.

Now, the pompadoured billionaire and reality-TV star may have outplayed a much bigger rival in a bid for Ms. Kluge's crown jewel: her mansion. Bank of America owns the house after foreclosing and is trying to sell it for $16 million. The 24,000-square-foot neo-Georgian palace has 45 rooms, a spa, home theater, 3,500-bottle wine cellar and 2,000-square-foot sitting room.

One thing the house doesn't have, however, is a front yard. Mr. Trump owns that, having purchased it with his 200 acres. He also owns most of the driveway and the backyard, making a sale to any other buyer difficult. Mr. Trump said he would buy it from Bank of America for $3.6 million.

To make his point, he has erected signs on the front lawn of the mansion that read, "No Trespassing. This Land is Owned by Trump Virginia Acquisitions LLC," aimed at warding off possible buyers. He has also let the lawn go to seed.

"Maybe someone is stupid enough to buy the house," Mr. Trump said. "I wish them luck."

The broker for the house, Joseph Marchetti III, responded: "We believe the house is a salable asset as it is."

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