Former US luger and husband contest Manhattan eviction over luxury flat
A former Team USA Olympic luger and her husband have become embroiled in a high-profile Manhattan rental dispute after allegedly refusing to vacate a $26,000-per-month luxury apartment. The case matters because the owners claim to have been unable to access their own property or complete a multimillion-dollar sale for over a year whilst seeking more than $300,000 in unpaid rent and utilities.
The couple, Erica Terwillegar and Peter Molinari, deny overstaying, claiming they renewed the lease and attempted to pay rent but the landlords blocked their payments. They counter-sued, alleging the furnished apartment was dirty and cluttered with the owners' belongings when they moved in September 2024, with complaints of mould and filth marks on walls. The owners, wellness instructor Cathy Crane and her husband Salvatore Trentalancia, deny the apartment was in poor condition, saying the tenants had two walk-throughs beforehand and knew some possessions would remain in the furnished space.
- Olympic luger accused of refusing to leave $26,000-a-month Manhattan apartment
- Tenants claim landlords blocked payment; apartment was dirty when they moved in
- Owners deny, say tenants are blocking a multimillion-dollar property sale
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A rental dispute in Manhattan has led to legal action between the owners and tenants of a luxury flat renting at $26,000 a month. The financial stakes involved are substantial.
The core issue is whether unpaid rent and utilities are owed and whether the tenants should vacate the property. The owners claim they are owed more than $300,000 and have been unable to use or sell their flat for over a year, making this more than a straightforward rental disagreement.
The two sides dispute each other's accounts of what happened. The tenants claim they have paid or attempted to pay their rent under a renewed lease, whilst the owners dispute this. The tenants also raised concerns about the flat's condition when they moved in, whilst the owners defend the property's state at the start of the tenancy.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The property owners have been deprived of access to and income from their own asset for over a year, with substantial financial losses claimed in unpaid rent, utilities and a blocked sale. If the tenants' lease genuinely expired and they are refusing to vacate whilst the owners have attempted legal remedies, the owners' right to reclaim their property is a fundamental principle of property law and contract enforcement. The owners contend the tenants knew the apartment's condition through advance walk-throughs and understood it was furnished with remaining belongings.
The case against
The tenants argue they executed a valid lease renewal and repeatedly attempted to pay rent, only to have their payments blocked by the owners—a practice that would breach rental law in most jurisdictions and potentially waive habitability standards. If the apartment contained legitimate defects such as mould and filthy conditions when they took occupancy, the owners' failure to maintain a habitable space may give the tenants legal grounds to withhold or reduce rent regardless of move-in inspections. The tenants' counterclaim suggests they are not simply squatting but asserting contractual rights and defending against substandard conditions.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Female Olympian is accused of squatting in A-List NYC apartment building that’s home to Bon Jovi… but her husband insists $26k-a-month rental is more squalid than Section 8 housing”.