雙語財經新聞 第48期:天價豪宅
A Manhattan condominium owned by a financially troubled Italian film producer was sold in a foreclosure auction for $33.2 million, the highest price paid for Manhattan apartment this year and a sign that New York real estate prices are stabilizing.
A Chinese businessman who was not identified purchased the 5,500-square-foot apartment with 20-foot ceilings and views of Central Park that had been owned by Vittorio Cecchi Gori, the producer of more than 200 films including “II Postino” and “Life is Beautiful.” The new buyer paid the lofty price of more than $6,000 a square foot even though the apartment was in ruins after being gutted by Mr. Cecchi Gori for a renovation. The sale closed on Monday.
一位沒有表露身份的中國商人買下了這套面積5500^方英尺、層高20英尺的 公寓。這套公寓還可縱覽紐約曼哈頓中央公園的景色。其原主人切奇?高裏是200多 部影片的製片人，包括《郵差》和《美麗人生》等經典影片。雖然公寓因切奇?高裏進 行的裝修而一片混亂，買主還是支付了每平方英尺逾6000美元的高價。交易於週一 完成。The price in the current deal underscores1 signs of recovery in luxury housing in Manhattan in the last few months, after an extended period of slavish2 sales and falling prises. It followed a series of high closing prices on other luxury cooperatives and condominiums last December.
這樁交易的價格凸顯了曼哈頓豪華房產經過很長一段時間的銷售蕭條和價格 下滑後，在過去幾個月的復甦跡象。此前在去年12月，其他豪華合作公寓和共管公 寓也創下了一系列高價。
Last June, when sales in the Manhattan market were still largely stalled, a Russian businessman agreed to pay $18 million for the apartment, in Trump International Hotel and Tower. But that deal fell apart.
去年6月,在曼哈頓房地產市場的銷售基本上還陷人停頓之際，一名俄羅斯商 人同意出價1800萬美元買下這套位於Trump國際酒店大廈的公寓。不過那樁交易最終沒成。Interest in the Cecchi Gori condo has been intense. After the deal with the Russian businessman collapsed, four buyers stepped forward late last year and made offers at or above $18 million, according to Howard Margolis, the broker3 at Prudential Douglas EHiman who worked on the sale for the last year. That led to a formal auction, which was held in January and continued for five hours and 35 rounds of bidding between two of the bidders, brokers said.
這套公寓吸弓I 了衆多注意。普天壽房地產公司的經紀馬格里斯說，與俄羅斯商 人的交易失敗後，去年年底又有四名買家出現，出價在1800萬美元或更高。由此產 生了一場正式的拍賣，在1月份舉行，兩名競拍者經過了五個小時、35輪叫價才塵埃 落定。The winning bid of $33.2 million was made by a limited liability company, listed in care of Rothschild Bank Trust in Zurich. But brokers in the building said the actual buyer was a Chinese businessman involved in manufacturing.
叫出3320萬美元勝出競價的是一家有限責任公司，掛在蘇黎世的Rothschild Bank Trust名下。不過大廈的經紀人說真正的買家是一名從事製造業的中國商人。Mr. Cecchi Gori’s financial troubles predate the latest recession, and involve complicated allegations of a bankruptcy fraud in Italy that date back years, and that put him in jail4 for a time.
切奇?高裏的財務困境早在最近這輪經濟衰退之前就開始了，因涉及多年前在 意大利的一樁複雜的破產欺詐指控，他還曾因此短暫人獄。Niels Juul, the temporary chief executive of Mr. Checchi Gori’s Los Angeles production company, Checchi Gori Pictures, said the film producer expected to be completely vindicated by the Italian courts, and was currently involved in several film productions.
在切奇?高裏位於洛杉肌的電影製作公司Checchi Gori Pictures代理首席執行長 的Niels Juul說，切奇?高裏有望在意大利法院徹底平反，目前正參與幾部影片的製作。Court records show that Mr. Cecchi Gori eventually fell behind on a $28 million debt to Fortress Investment Group. The loan was secured by three houses, in New York, London and Los Angeles, each of which has now been sold. Mr. Juul said that with the higher sale price on the New York apartment, Mr. Cecchi Gori expected eventually to receive some of the proceeds of the auction.
法庭記錄顯本，切奇?高裏最終拖欠了 Fortress Investment Group的2800萬美兀 債務。這筆貸款以分別位於紐約、倫敦和洛杉磯的三套房產爲抵押，目前這三處房 產均已售出。Juul說，由於紐約這套公寓的售價較高，切奇?高裏預計最終將獲得拍 賣所得的部分款項。The apartment, which Mr. Cecchi Gori bought in 1997 for $10.4 million, also was owned at one point by developer Donald Trump, who paid $5 million for it in 1997. But after Mr. Trump separated from his then — wife, Marta Maples, he listed the apartment for rent at the then — astronomical sum of $100,000 a month. Mr. Cecchi Gori bought it few months later.
切奇?高裏於1997年以1040萬美元購得這套公寓。在那之前它一度還爲開發商 特朗普所有，後者在1997年以500萬美元買下。不過在特朗普與當時的妻子梅波斯 離婚後就以當時每月10萬美元的天價將房子租了出去，切奇?髙裏在幾個月後買下 了它。
