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Flatiron Building in New York City

Photo: Rüdiger Wölk / IMAGO

Many cooks spoil the broth – and many owners cause plenty of discord. Especially when it comes to such a famous building. New York's "iron building" has been auctioned off at the second attempt for 161 million dollars (about 150 million euros).

After a half-hour bidding competition on the steps in front of a courthouse in Manhattan, the auctioneer's hammer fell on Tuesday at this sum – bid by real estate developer Jeff Gural, who is already part owner of the triangular building.

At the previous auction at the end of March, Gural had to admit defeat to his fellow bidder Jacob Garlick, who won the auction with a bid of 190 million dollars. But then Garlick failed to deliver an initial $19 million down payment on time – and his right to buy it expired.

The auction had been ordered by a court after a dispute broke out between the five previous owners over the future of the building. The real estate companies GFP Real Estate, Newmark, ABS Real Estate Partners and Sorgente Group jointly owned 75 percent of the building, while real estate developer Nathan Silverstein owned the remaining 25 percent.

Buildings can be seen again and again in films

Silverstein had "absurd" ideas about the future of the building and, for example, did not want to carry out any renovations at all, the real estate companies recently said. Silverstein, on the other hand, accuses the co-owners, among other things, of not having adequately advertised the building and offering it for a price per square meter that was far too low. The dispute escalated, leading to years of loss of rent – and now to a forced auction.

The triangular Flatiron Building is one of New York's most popular attractions. The approximately 90-meter-high building, which can also be seen in numerous films and television series, was opened in 1902 – at the intersection of Broadway, 23rd Street and Fifth Avenue in the middle of Manhattan.

Until a few years ago, Macmillan Publishers rented all 21 floors of the building, but since it moved out, it has been empty and is currently partially scaffolded.

jok/dpa