By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2024-12-28 20:21:27 | Updated at 2024-12-29 12:15:14
16 hours ago
New York City influencer-turned-millionaire Candice Miller bluntly denied that she owes nearly $200,000 in rent because, she says, she had 'not personally signed the lease agreement'.
The 42-year-old Mama & Tata blogger was catapulted into financial chaos after her real estate tycoon husband, 43-year-old Brandon Miller, committed suicide in their Hamptons mansion over the summer.
But when he took his life - and died without a will - he secretly left behind nearly $34million in debts, with only $8,000 in the bank.
After his suicide, Candice told friends that she was unaware of her husband's dire financial state - noting how she strayed away from asking questions about his business affairs and kept a distance from discussing details regarding their finances, The New York Times reported.
Now the widower is using her claims of 'lack of involvement' to fight yet another lawsuit brought against her in September - a total of $194,881.89 in unpaid rent for the Park Avenue home that she and her husband had lived in since 2021.
She says that because she didn't personally sign the lease agreement, she isn't personally liable for the debt of the luxurious Manhattan condo.
But Mak Acquisitions, the company who owns the building, is demanding that she cough up $195,000 to cover rent for the months of April through August, court documents reviewed by DailyMail.com revealed.
The Park Ave condo, which is located in one of Manhattan’s most prestigious pre-war buildings in the Upper East Side of the city, was rented for nearly $47,000 a month until April before increasing to $49,000 from May onward.
New York City 's influencer-turned-millionaire, Candice Miller, 42, bluntly denied that she owes nearly $200k in rent because she had 'not personally signed the lease agreement' for a lush Manhattan condo
She is being sued by the owners of the Park Avenue apartment building after they claim she owes total of $194,881.89 in unpaid rent for the New York home she and her husband had lived in since 2021
Candice allegedly failed to pay for April and May's rent payment for the swanky 4,382-square foot, five-bedroom, seven-and-a-half bathroom luxurious abode as well as two additional payments in June and July
Candice allegedly failed to pay for April and May's rent payment for the swanky 4,382-square foot, five-bedroom, seven-and-a-half bathroom luxurious abode.
She then allegedly skipped out on paying two additional months in June and July - both of which being $49,000 payments.
The suit also claimed that she is being billed $2,000 for an accrued balance in August along with an $881.89 plumbing invoice, Page Six reported.
Although she 'agreed to surrender' the property by August 31 - and ultimately followed through on the promise - she never took care of the debt.
Candice ultimately moved to Miami Beach shortly after her husband's suicide and is now living in a multimillion dollar condo owned by a member of the von Fürstenberg family.
For years, Candice enticed a following of tens of thousands of fans by sharing copious photos of their rich and wealthy lifestyle filled with yachts, luxury vacations, vintage cars and private planes.
But the socialite's life quickly turned upside down on July 4th weekend when her husband committed suicide by inhaling carbon monoxide inside the garage of his Hamptons mansion while she and her daughters were away in Europe.
In a suicide note, the father-of-two explained that a last-minute make-or-break business deal had fallen through, leaving him feeling as though he had no way out.
The Mama & Tata blogger was catapulted into financial chaos after her real estate tycoon husband, 43-year-old Brandon Miller, committed suicide in their Hamptons mansion over the summer
The Park Ave condo, which is located in one of Manhattan’s most prestigious pre-war buildings in the Upper East Side of the city, was rented for nearly $47,000 a month until April before increasing to $49,000 from May onward
Despite months of turmoil, the fallout surrounding the financial mess that Brandon left behind is seemingly far from over as Candice may still be on the hook for millions in debt.
Brandon's estate is carrying numerous other unresolved debts, according to court records reported by The New York Times.
Beyond the property debt, the developer and financer owed more than $20million in unsecured loans, according to legal filings reported by the outlet.
Some of the institutional lenders included UBS Bank, to which he owed $2.1million, and Chicago-based BMO Bank, to which he owed $11.2million.
Additionally, he owed over $6 million to Donald Jaffe, a lender who had previously funded Miller and his father on various projects. Jaffe is still pursuing legal action to recover the unpaid balance.
Other creditors include American Express and Funding Club, a Brooklyn-based cash advance lender, to whom Brandon owed over $300,000 and $266,000, respectively.
Brandon also owed a series of other undisclosed debts to several family, friends and high-risk lenders who loaned him money after his need for cash intensified near the end of his life.
One lender, who wished to remain anonymous, lent him $208,000 in early June after Brandon came to him in tears - promising he'd repay the loan in a week and offering a piece of his Hamptons house as collateral, The Times reported.
Brandon committed suicide on 4th of July weekend by inhaling carbon monoxide inside the garage of the Hamptons home while his wife and daughters were away in Europe - leaving behind $34million in debts with only $8,000 in the bank
Shortly after her husband's death, Candice told friends that she was unaware of her husband's dire financial situation - noting how she strayed away from asking questions about his business affairs
The lender agreed because he had previously helped Brandon by providing him with an unsecured loan of $1million - which he ultimately paid back all but $60,000.
But by the middle of June, he stopped receiving any call or text responses from Brandon and instead reached out to his lawyer to urge that he make a good-faith partial payment, which he never did.
Candice already agreed to pay about $4 million to settle a lawsuit over an unpaid loan in August, according to the Times.
Just last week, Candice sold her Water Mill mansion in the Hamptons - her husband's main asset - which was listed for $15.5million in August.
She considered at least two offers for the house and its furnishings - one for $12.8million and the other for $13million - but it remains unclear how much it ultimately sold for.
However, it's likely Candice won't see much of that money, as a big part of Miller's debts came from the property, which had five mortgages totaling nearly $12 million.
But Brandon was able to leave a $15million payout in insurance money to his wife.
While insurance companies do not typically pay out policies in the case of suicide, that exclusion generally only lasts two years after the policy is purchased, per industry experts.
Just last week, Candice sold her Water Mill mansion in the Hamptons - her husband's main asset - which was listed for $15.5million in August
Meanwhile it's emerged that Miller's mother Barbara died at the age of 81 earlier this month, with his family saying she died from a 'broken heart.'
'Our beautiful Barbara passed away with a broken heart, and we are desperately trying to find comfort and peace in knowing that she has been reunited with her beloved husband, Michael, and precious son, Brandon,' her daughter Maurley Miller said in a statement to the Times.
'The tragedy that my family has endured over the past few months has been absolutely devastating. The pain is indescribable.'
