NYC landlord accuses famous tenants of trashing their sublet and wrecking a $115,000 Charles Gwathmey table — for the second time

It’s a precious table, designed by nan precocious Modernist designer Charles Gwathmey, weighted astatine $115,000. If it’s damaged, it allegedly requires $86,000 worthy of repairs.

It sits in an tremendous Chelsea loft owned by Gwathmey’s stepson, Eric Steel, who rents out nan portion for astir $30,000 a month.

And now, Steel is allegedly refusing to return nan information deposit to his astir caller subletters — Australian powerfulness mates Sam and Lara Worthington, who sued him earlier this period successful Manhattan Supreme Court.

In response, Steel claims that nan Worthingtons wrecked nan trophy array and trashed nan loft. He is demanding costs of $300,000.

The conflict is oddly akin to 1 from a decade ago, erstwhile Steel sued a erstwhile high-profile subtenant, media mogul Arianna Huffington, whom he accused of wrecking nan very aforesaid array and trashing nan place.

“Steel’s effort to usage his playbook of fabricating harm and targeting his tenants for remuneration will not beryllium tolerated by nan Worthingtons, who near nan flat successful near-pristine condition,” said Anne W. Salisbury of Guzov LLC, nan couple’s lawyer. “Steel’s demands and counterclaims are demonstrably mendacious and baseless nether New York law, arsenic nan Worthingtons will beryllium successful court.”

The Worthingtons — Sam is known for his acting successful “Avatar” while Lara, nee Lara Bingle, is a model pinch astir 2 cardinal Instagram followers — precocious vacated nan portion aft a twelvemonth aliases truthful of subletting.

The Worthingtons, who person 3 young sons, admit to normal deterioration and tear, and to immoderate damages beyond their power — specified arsenic h2o intrusion from nan building envelope, nan suit says. They near down a surgery cupboard, positive immoderate nicks and scrapes connected nan walls.

“Plaintiffs could not perchance person caused much than a mates 1000 dollars of damage,” nan Worthingtons’ lawyer says.

As for that $86,000 to repair nan Gwathmey table, nan suit calls nan sum “astronomical . . . to nan constituent of absurdity.”

The portion came partially furnished, according to nan sublease included successful nan lawsuit. But “the only mention of nan array was erstwhile Plaintiffs wanted to region each furnishings earlier they took possession, and were told nan array would not fresh successful nan work elevator, truthful could only beryllium taken retired done nan window. No connection astir nan typical finish, nan request to use a typical coating, aliases nan request to bring nan full array to its shaper conscionable to do nan refinishing there,” nan suit says.

An estimate from Pollaro Custom Furniture successful New Jersey gives an amount of $36,000 to portion nan finish, repair dents, sand, bleach, stain and spray nan array — costing $200 per hr for 180 hours.

Round-trip proscription betwixt nan Chelsea loft and nan furnishings shop is an estimated $50,000, according to papers reviewed by The Post. That includes constructing a rigging crate, disassembling nan table, packing it, hoisting it pinch a crane and delivering it. It doesn’t see removing nan model aliases debris disposal, according to correspondence from nan moving company.

Steel’s database of demands includes $6,500 for “supervision, work and coordination;” $21,450 for redoing nan floors; and $15,200 for refurbishing metallic sinks, shelves and windowsills — each portion of an estimate of $87,000 worthy of building work. His database besides includes $120,000 for 4 months of mislaid rent, according to tribunal filings.

Steel has rented out nan co-op portion — worthy astir $10 cardinal — to 7 tenants betwixt 2004 and 2024, according to tribunal filings.

“Because of nan Apartment’s unsocial and exquisite design, Mr. Steel has often leased nan Apartment to salient figures successful nan fashion, creation and media world,” says nan counterclaim revenge by Steel’s lawyer, Jacob S. Reichman of Kudman Trachten Aloe Posner LLP. Reichman declined to remark to The Post.

A twelve years ago, Steel sublet nan flat — each 4,400 quadrate feet — to Huffington. Upon her departure, Steel sued her for $275,000, for wrecking nan very aforesaid array arsenic good arsenic trashing nan place.

“The Gwathmey designed, civilization made eating room array was damaged and scratched and nan decorativeness compromised. It had to beryllium crated, hoisted retired of nan Apartment and repaired by nan original manufacturer,” according to that suit, which besides called nan array “irreplaceable.”

At nan time, Huffington said successful a statement, “every azygous declare successful this suit is mendacious isolated from nan quadrate footage and nan address. Eric Steel, who happily renewed nan lease doubly and visited nan flat aggregate times, is holding connected to $93,000 successful deposits, which he has refused to return.”

That suit was settled quickly.

“This is not nan first clip nan landlord has done this,” nan suit from nan Worthingtons reads. “Steel sued a celebrated nationalist fig for astir identical claims of damage. After a torrent of antagonistic press, this individual settled nan lawsuit . . . this maltreatment of nan ineligible strategy and landlord misconduct cannot beryllium countenanced.”

The Huffington suit is irrelevant, according to papers revenge by Reichman. “By mentioning events which took spot 10 years ago, nan Worthingtons are only attempting to distract from nan existent behaviour astatine rumor here,” nan papers say.

The sublease says nan tenants must return “good care” of each furnishings, creation activity and inclusions.

The Worthingtons garbage to salary “even a cent to repair their harm to nan Apartment,” and “made perfectly nary effort to return attraction of nan Apartment aliases fulfill their obligations arsenic tenants,” nan paperwork says. It accuses them of utilizing nan portion arsenic “their ain individual retention shed,” and “disrespecting and damaging nan apartment.” It says nan array had “large divots successful it, making it unusable.”

What’s more, “the Worthingtons did not moreover fuss to unopen disconnected nan lights aliases adjacent nan windows earlier they left,” nan papers allege.

If nan array is truthful delicate and valuable, Steel should person emphasized that constituent to immoderate subtenants, nan Worthingtons’ lawyer wrote successful tribunal papers.

“Indeed, if he knew that a tenant would beryllium shocked by his claims regarding nan supposedly uncommon and delicate $86,000 refinishing need, he should person added it to nan lease, truthful nan tenants could take to screen [the table] and move it away.”