He’s in between a rock star and a tough place.
A real estate exec who plunked down $3.3 million for a unique Soho apartment is battling Strokes bassist Nikolai Fricher over his home’s back yard, claiming the musician is “fixated” on the green space. And have made life in the building hell in their quest to achieve it.
Toby Dodd, of Cushman & Wakefield, and his wife, Julie de Pontbriand, moved into 42 King St. in 2017, barring a ground-floor apartment and private rear yard.
He later snatched up the adjacent garden at 44 King St., as well as a small ground-floor room in that building for a lyceum, shelling out $300,000, court papers show.
In 2019, Fraiture – whose band won a Grammy for Best Rock Album in 2021 – and his wife Ilona bought a ground-floor unit at 44 King and Basement.
He filed a lawsuit in 2021, claiming that the units purchased by Dodds were illegally connected, and prevented him from making desired repairs.
Now Frachers has a mission: to make 44 King’s Gardens his own, claim Dodds, who filed his lawsuit against Frachers last week.
The roughly 45-by-40-foot area has “real value” to the property and is so unusual in Manhattan, it was praised by the New York Times for its “treasure-like quality,” Dodd and Pontbriand contend in court papers.
According to court papers, “the Frachters’ motivation is simple: the Dodds have exclusive rights over the building’s garden and the Frachters want it for themselves.”
A lawyer for Frichers told The Post that calling Dodds the owner of the private garden at 44 King Street was a “false assumption”.
“Think of it this way: If I told you I had a bridge to sell and you bought it from me, would that make you the owner of that bridge? No, it wouldn’t. Based on what I have seen, I believe Dodds’ claim of ownership is, at best, questionable,” said attorney Bradley Silverbush.
Dodd and Poinbrind claim that the Frachers are trying to unfairly oust the couple from 44 King Street and its yard.
“Dodds never wavered on his reluctance to part with the Garden. … Rather than accept that reality, Fraters organized a still-running conspiracy to force Dodds out of 44 King and take the Garden for himself.” initiated the scheme,” according to the lawsuit.
Dodds claims that Frachers’ unrelenting fighting has made 44 King’s life miserable.
According to the lawsuit, “Other residents have commented that prior to Frachers’ arrival, 44 King was a very pleasant community to live in, but Frachers has created a volatile, stressful environment for everyone.” the real deal.
A Manhattan judge granted Dodds’ request to block the freighters from being booted from 44 King until a court appearance next month.