My schadenfraude headline of the day!
Conrad Black loses Florida mansion
Lord Black’s 21,000-square-foot oceanfront home in Palm Beach has been put up for sale without a specified asking price. It has been assessed at $32.6-million (U.S.) by city officials for tax purposes.
The listing comes a few weeks after Lord Black transferred ownership of the property to a Connecticut-based investment firm.
According to property records, he and his wife, Barbara Amiel Black, transferred the deed of the house on Feb. 3 to Blackfield Holdings LLC to settle an $11.6-million mortgage. Blackfield is now listed as the sole owner.
The Palm Beach house has five bedrooms, six bathrooms, a tennis court, pool, movie theatre and exercise room, according to the listing by real estate agent Linda Gary. The house is a “Splendid British Colonial estate offering high ceilings, beautiful mouldings, commercial appliances in kitchen and butler’s pantry,” Ms. Gary says on her website. The mansion sits on more than three acres of land and also includes a two-storey guest house and a tunnel to the beach under the road. Although property records show it was built in 1973, Ms. Gary said in a brief interview that it has been extensively renovated.
The article notes that Lord and Lady Black still have their Bridle Path home here in Toronto.
However, Black renounced his Canadian citizenship so he could sit in the British House of Lords.
He is now a convicted felon, so he might not be able to reside in Canada. Conrad had better hope the SCOTUS gods smile on him.
In any event, the Globe says there is a $6-million mortgage on that shack.
Sucks to be an ex-newspaper baron.