Russian oil baron sues over Plaza deal

NEW YORK, Sept. 9 (UPI) -- A Russian multimillionaire says the penthouses he bought in the legendary Plaza Hotel in New York are not worth the $53.5 million he agreed to pay for them.

Andrei Vavilov has filed a lawsuit against Elad Group, the owner of the Plaza, and Stribling & Associates Real Estate Ltd., the New York Post reported.

The complaint filed Friday in New York describes the penthouses as "attic-like space." Vavilov's lawyer, Y. David Scharf, described drainage grates across the windows, blocking the view of Central Park, and a large column in the living room.

The penthouses are so unsatisfactory that Vavilov's wife, Maryana Tsaregradskaya, cried when she first saw them in June, the lawyer said.

Scharf accuses Elad and Stribling of "bait-and-switch" tactics.

Vavilov, a former member of the Russian parliament who sold his oil company for $600 million in 2002, made a $16 million down payment. The suit seeks $31 million.