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White Whine: After Hurricane Sandy, Real Estate Investor Still Missing $300K Wine Collection
By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Dec 28, 2012
Modified Dec 28, 2012
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By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Dec 28, 2012
Modified Dec 28, 2012
Share
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We were all inspired by the brave souls who made it through Hurricane Sandy by digging deep into their precious home wine collections. But not everyone was so lucky. Gather round for the sad tale of one local oenophile who thought he was being prudent by stashing his finest tannins and esters at a local storage facility, only to find that months after the hurricane, his collection—worth several hundred thousand dollars—is MIA. As a result, Philip "Tod" Waterman III has no choice but to sue the company for refusing to give him access to his nearly 200 wine bottles.
Philip "Tod" Waterman III, a real estate investor in Manhattan, racked up $300,000 in bottles of wine over the years, and has paid WineCare Storage on West 28th Street $44,000 to maintain his collection since 2006. Unfortunately, not even WineCare Storage's "premiere" facility was able to stand up to Sandy, and it flooded during the storm.
Waterman says he was told his wine was safe and was being moved out of the flood zone. But the company says they're still assessing their inventory post-storm, and he says they told him they have "absolutely no idea" when he'll be able to get his hands on his bottles. He is seeking a court order forcing WineCare to tell him the whereabouts and condition of his wine, and if there's any justice WineCare will hire the world's tiniest violin ensemble to play when he uncorks his first missing bottle.
Tagged
hurricane sandy
manhattan
wine
winestorage
Rebecca Fishbein
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