A developer of the West Village’s chic Printing House condo is allegedly living “for free” in the building’s “premier” $20 million pad — while his furious neighbors have to make up the difference, according to court papers and residents.
Barnet Liberman and his partner made history when they turned the former printing building at 421 Hudson St. into condos in 1979, one of the first such residential conversions approved in the city.
The property includes an Equinox gym and rooftop swimming pool with spectacular views. Its loft-like units with oversize windows have been eyed by celebrities including Spiderman actor Andrew Garfield.
Liberman and his wife, Phyllis, occupy a penthouse apartment with at least 2,845 square feet. It could be worth anywhere from $6 million to $20 million by Liberman’s own estimate.
The couple has racked up a hefty debt, claims the condo, which is pushing to foreclose on the unit and sell it, court records show.
The monthly $3,160 common charges have gone unpaid since January 2019, according to a lawsuit filed in 2020 against the Libermans and the LLC that owns the unit, among other defendants.
And an August 2021 invoice sent to the Libermans shows a debt of $609,530, including fines for violating building rules like leaving packages in the lobby and illegal gas piping to the unit, according to court papers.
One angry building resident said, “All the residents including myself are paying 30 percent more while he lives in that apartment for free. It’s outrageous.”
Liberman was unmoved by the outrage over the assessments shared by the other condo owners.
“My heart goes out to them,” he told The Post.
He declined to comment on how much he might owe, saying it would be up to the court to decide.
Meanwhile, Liberman filed for bankruptcy in 2021, owing $123 million to a laundry list of creditors including his wife, children and a pest control company in the Hamptons where he owns a townhouse.
Security video showed Liberman spends most of his time at the Printing House, and not the East Hampton property as he is trying to claim in the bankruptcy proceeding, according to court papers. He is seeking a homestead exemption for the townhouse which could allow him to hold onto it.
Liberman told The Post the Hamptons property is the only home he owns. He and his wife transferred the ownership of the Printing House apartment to an LLC in 2013, and then gave most of the entity to their five children.
He said he paid $35,000 a month rent to the LLC, but would not say who got the money.
