Appalled Man Rushes To Hometown After Hearing A $1.5 Million House Was Built On Land He Bought

Dec 06, 2023

Owning a parcel of land can be reassuring for many as they possess the liberty to decide what to do with it. Whether they would like to transform it into a residential building, a commercial complex, or something else, the decision falls entirely upon the owner of the land. 

That was the case for Daniel Kenigsberg until he discovered that the parcel of land he owned in Connecticut was illegally built by another “landowner.” 

According to NBC New York, property owner Kenigsberg filed a lawsuit against 51 Sky Top Partners for illegally building a $1.5-million house on the land he owns. The developer reportedly paid an amount of $350,000 for the land in October 2022. 

Now living in Long Island, New York, Kenigsberg caught a whiff of the news from his childhood friend when he revealed that a house was being built next door to them. 

“They're doing what? "I said, ‘I own that and I never sold it,’” Kenigsberg recalled to The Greenwich Times. “I was shocked.

Turns out, a fraudulent deed and a special power of attorney were signed by one Daniel Kenigsberg from South Africa. 

The land was bought by Kenigsberg in 1991, but he hasn’t touched it since. Upon finding out about the bogus sale, Kenigsberg sued the firm involved on several counts, including trespass, statutory theft, and unfair trade practices.

Court documents revealed that Kenigsberg asked for damages amounting to $2 million, as well as demanding that the firm restore the land back to its original state before they started construction. 

“I’m angry that so many people were so negligent that this could have happened….It wasn’t for sale…It’s more than obnoxious, it’s offensive and wrong,” he told the publication.

The forged special power of attorney and deed of sale was made “legally” by Anthony Monelli of Trumbull, Connecticut. According to The Greenwich Times, Gina Leto and Greg Bugaj of 51 Sky Top Partners admitted that they, too, were victims of a scam. 

"We learned to our shock and dismay that Kenigsberg, had not, in fact, sold the property to us,” the company told CT Insider. "Rather, a third party had impersonated Kenigsberg and — through the carelessness and neglect of the various real estate professionals involved in the transaction — managed to list, market, and sell the property without anyone ever catching on."

The Fairfield Police Department told NBC New York that they are actively investigating what transpired on the legal ruckus. However, they assured Kingesberg that construction on the land had already been halted. 

Kenigsberg was furious with the legal mix-up that occurred. In a statement to The Greenwich Times, he elaborated more on the confusion and surprise he felt upon discovering what happened. 

“You know when you go back to your old neighborhood…it still more or less looks the same. That was this family’s house and that was that family’s house,” he said. “It just struck me as very weird. You have a picture in your mind and then…”

Per the publication, the house had been listed for $1,475,000. 

“Stunning new construction built on quiet side street by respected local builder,” the listing on the embattled building read. “Great location…Great back yard. Room for playset, kick a soccer ball, or a swimming pool.”

Apparently, the lawsuit that Kenigsberg filed was a civil lawsuit, but he only sought for the building and other construction to be removed immediately. The Greenwich Times says that the lawsuit does not accuse Leto and Bugaj of “masterminding the alleged fraud,” as there was also “no indication that they are targets of the criminal investigation.” 

“It looks like somebody from South Africa reached out to maybe the broker and maybe Attorney Monelli,” Kenigsberg’s lawyer Peter M. Nolin said in a statement. 

However, legally, the federal court lays the blame fell on Leto and Bugaj, who “knew or should have known” that an actual fraud was taking place. 

“The Defendants committed their improper acts and/or practices intentionally, with a specific intent to injure the Plaintiff and/or with a reckless disregard for the Plaintiff’s rights,” the lawsuit read.

Nolin pointed out that the defendants should have known better, considering the glaring mistakes in the said transaction. 

“There are a bunch of red flags that should have put him on notice,” Nolin said to the outlet. Among those was the notary was signed in the U.S. Consulate in South Africa, “which doesn’t make sense.”

Meanwhile, Leto and Bugaj maintained that they should not be named defendants in the said lawsuit, saying that they are still victims, compared to Kenigsberg. 

“He will be made whole in the very near term through restoration of the property at our expense. We, on the other hand, will not recoup the hundreds of thousands of dollars we have, in good faith, invested in the property for years (if ever), and may never fully ameliorate the harm done to our reputations, Leto told CT Insider.

What can you say about Daniel Kenigsberg’s problem? Have you encountered a similar problem to his? What would you have done if you were in his shoes? Let us know, and pass this on to your family and friends!