Brief
Landlords seek court order to force sale of Libbie Mugrabi’s Basquiat painting
The owners of a Manhattan condo are asking a judge to block the sale of a Basquiat until the debt is settled.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Landlords of the Park Mansion at 320 East 82nd Street have filed a petition in Manhattan Supreme Court seeking a temporary restraining order that would prevent Libbie Mugrabi from selling her untitled 1982 Jean‑Michel Basquiat painting until she pays the $2.3 million in back rent she owes.
The petition, filed on Oct. 9, cites a prior court order from 2023 that required Mugrabi to pay $1.8 million, with interest accruing at 9 percent. The landlords say Mugrabi stopped paying rent in April 2020 after her lease expired the previous November.
Phillips Auction House, listed as a respondent, is currently holding the painting, which the petition values between $4 million and $6 million. Mugrabi’s own complaint in June valued the work at $30 million and notes that Phillips had planned to auction it in October 2024 before the sale was withdrawn amid a separate dispute involving Empire Chesapeake Holdings.
Mugrabi, who was ordered in September to auction her $25 million Hamptons mansion, has not responded to requests for comment, nor have her attorneys, the condo owners’ lawyers, or Phillips.
Key facts
- Landlords filed a petition on Oct. 9 seeking a restraining order on the Basquiat sale (nypost.com)
- Mugrabi owes $2.3 million in back rent, after a 2023 order for $1.8 million with 9% interest (nypost.com)
- The Basquiat painting is valued at $4‑6 million in the petition, but Mugrabi claimed $30 million in a separate filing (nypost.com)
- Phillips Auction House is holding the artwork and is named as a respondent (nypost.com)
Sources
- [1] nypost.com — originally reported as “Exclusive | Landlords demand NYC socialite sell her $30M Basquiat to pay debts”
