The board of managers at The Admaston condominium on Manhattan’s Upper West Side is asking a judge to make a longtime resident sell his apartment after what it describes as a violent, days-long rampage that left neighbors rattled and building staff hurt. In a complaint filed in New York County Supreme Court, the board is seeking a permanent injunction, damages and attorneys’ fees, and a court order forcing the sale of the owner’s unit, arguing that the chaos has jeopardized residents’ safety and disrupted building operations.
According to court filings obtained by the New York Post, the suit names 75-year-old Lawrence Feldman, a veteran alto saxophonist who has performed with Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett and others and was once a member of the Saturday Night Live band. The complaint accuses him of hours-long, drug-fueled behavior that escalated in mid-May, including smashed lobby equipment, a scuffle with a porter and menacing threats toward a neighbor and the resident manager. The filing says police removed Feldman from the building on May 15.
What the Complaint Alleges
The lawsuit lays out a series of witness accounts from residents and staff. One neighbor says Feldman pounded on her door around 2 a.m. and threatened to kill her. The resident manager reported hearing Feldman say, "I am going to kill Almir." A doorman said he saw Feldman "smack" a porter and shout obscenities through the lobby while visibly agitated.
According to the court papers, police took Feldman to a hospital following the incident, and he returned to the building the following day. Two residents told the board they felt too unsafe to come back to their apartments and moved into a hotel instead.
Board Asks Court to Force Sale
The board’s complaint is asking for what it acknowledges is an extraordinary remedy: a $250,000 surety bond and a judicial order compelling the sale of Unit 3C, along with damages and legal costs, as reported by the New York Post. The filing notes that the condo board is represented by Fox Rothschild and argues that Feldman’s alleged conduct has materially interfered with other owners’ quiet enjoyment of their homes and with the building’s upkeep. Using civil court to strip an owner of a condo unit is rare, and the move marks a sharp escalation in what began as a building dispute.
Value at Stake
The Admaston, a prewar condominium on Broadway, is considered a desirable address, with recent listings and sales indicating multi-million-dollar price points for larger units. Building records show that similar apartments have sold for roughly $1.6 million to $4 million in recent years, which the board says raises the financial stakes for everyone in the building; recent listings can be seen on Compass. According to the complaint, Feldman purchased Unit 3C in 1986 for about $146,500.
The Resident's Response
Feldman’s wife, Sandra Lee Church, told the New York Post that the episode was tied to concerns about an epidural and described it as an isolated incident. She urged that his medical condition be taken into account. The board and several residents, however, maintain that the conduct was sustained and dangerous, which they say left them with little choice but to seek court intervention. A court schedule has not yet been publicly posted, and both sides are expected to submit additional filings.
What Comes Next
The case will now proceed in New York County Supreme Court, where a judge must decide whether the alleged behavior warrants such a severe civil remedy. If the court grants the board’s request for an injunction or a forced judicial sale of the condo, it would be a rare outcome and could serve as a cautionary example for other co-ops and condos wrestling with safety concerns tied to individual owners.
