Manhattan Real Estate Ruins Decades of Friendship

A Manhattan real estate dispute has just put an end to what was once thought a solid friendship between Handbag designer Jane August and Michelle J. Schwartz.

Jane was the best friend anyone would like to have. According to NY Post, she stood by her pal Michelle through her two failed marriages, divorce and death of her children's father. In return, Michelle paid for a Manhattan apartment Jane could use in 1999. Jane claims that part of Michelle's offer was to let her have the apartment "for the rest of her life."

So Jane picked a spot on East 78th Street. The designer of handbags that usually retail hundreds of dollars has lived in the Manhattan pad ever since, taking responsibility for common charges and paid for renovation of the building's lobby that increased the market value of the property.

Even if they were best friends, they should have put their agreement on paper. Designer August is now claiming before a Manhattan Supreme Court that her former pal Schwartz has been trying to get rid of her for more than a year now.

According to NY Post, August admits not having paid Schwartz any amount for rent, but she and her lawyers argue that she had made it up to her by helping her in so many ways including supervising another Manhattan flat that Schwartz owned and managing the acquisition and the maintenance of a house. August reportedly wants a court order that would keep her from being evicted from the Manhattan apartment. On the other hand, Schwartz is said to have refused to comment on the matter.

But if August would ever get evicted, she might want to live in the Majestic West 80s of New York. The quiet neighborhood with old and splendid apartments, the bookstores like Barnes and Noble that is two blocks away from Zabar's food emporium on the West 80th Street might be able to help her forget the ruined friendship between her and Schwartz.