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A $13 million Upper East Side townhouse boasts all the luxe trappings any New Yorker would covet — save for one. A squatter situation that has pitted a recently deceased executive’s estranged wife against his girlfriend, the latter of whom allegedly refuses to leave the five-bedroom property.
Indeed, the four-story limestone residence at 111 E. 81st St., purchased in March 2022 by mattress entrepreneur Craig Schmeizer, is now the subject of a high-stakes fight in Manhattan Supreme Court, Curbed first reported.
Schmeizer, 52, died on Nov. 20, 2025, and the entity that owns the 6,650-square-foot home — 111 NYC LLC, whose members are two family trusts — has sued his girlfriend Hilarie Page. Not only does she allegedly remain in the property, but she is also blocking estate reps from going inside.
Sarah Shalev, 45, Schmeizer’s estranged wife who appears to be a neurologist, is trustee of the two trusts that control the LLC and is also identified in court papers as the personal representative under his will. Page, who did not return The Post’s request for comment, moved into the townhouse at some point following the couple’s separation. Shalev also did not return The Post’s request for comment.
According to the complaint obtained by The Post, “Page was a licensee occupying space in the Building with the permission of Schmeizer,” but that the “said license of Page to occupy space in the Building was terminated by virtue of the death of Schmeizer.”
The filing adds, “By reason of the termination of her license … Page has no right to use or occupy any portion of the Building.”
The estate alleges that since Schmeizer’s death, “Shalev, as Trustee, and her representatives have attempted to gain access to the Building but Page has refused to allow them to enter the Building and will not provide a key to the entrance door.”
In November, not long after Schmeizer passed away, Shalev called Page — a conversation that didn’t go well, according to an affidavit.
“She was extremely hostile, told me she was not going to leave the house because Craig was dead and it was clear that I would not be allowed into the Building,” Shalev says in the filing.
So, in early February, after attorneys’ letters went unanswered and months during which the townhouse appeared dark, Shalev and a legal representative showed up and attempted to enter.
“We rang the doorbell many times. [sic] pounded on the door and even threw snowballs at windows to get the attention of anybody who might be inside,” Shalev adds in the affidavit.
When no one responded, a locksmith was called.
According to the complaint, once the door was opened, Page “ran toward the door screaming” and both sides contacted police, who ultimately instructed the estate’s representatives to leave.
It’s a far cry from the glam life that Schmeizer and Shalev once shared. The two were in the President’s Circle of the nearby Metropolitan Museum of Art during their marriage. What’s more, they briefly shared a renovated home with a chef’s kitchen boasting three ovens, a dining room with space for 25, a garden billed as “a true oasis in the city,” according to a previous listing, and a third-floor primary bedroom overlooking the greenspace.
Now, however, dealing with the residence is anything but dreamy. The estate says the impasse is jeopardizing valuable assets inside the home.
Court papers detail that “The wine cellar containing a large amount of valuable wine must be inventoried,” and that “Artwork must be inventoried for estate and insurance purposes and must receive proper care.”
The filing also calls for access to “Financial records and other essential information concerning Schmeizer and his affairs,” and to “Search for any new will.”
Beyond the artwork and wine, the estate argues that the property cannot sustain itself financially.
“The Building does not generate any income from which to pay the costs associated with the ownership and maintenance thereof,” according to the complaint, adding that “the Building must be sold,” which requires additional access for brokers and inspectors.
The dispute has since escalated into what the estate describes as an emergency. In a subsequent affidavit, the LLC’s attorney told the court that the mortgage holder notified the estate that the townhouse’s insurance policy had expired and that coverage had to be obtained immediately.
The estate was able to secure conditional coverage, but only if the property is inspected within 14 days — access it claims Page continues to block.
An email from the insurance broker filed with the court shows that Chubb “was unwilling to offer a policy for this property,” and that an alternative carrier quoted coverage “in the premium range of $135,000.” The broker also requested contact information “for the individual who can grant us access for the inspection.”
Without that inspection, the attorney warned the court, “the Building will be uninsured.”
In addition to seeking injunctions compelling access and barring the removal of property, the LLC is asking a judge to award the “reasonable value of the use and occupancy of the Building,” which it calculates at $49,000 per month from the date of Schmeizer’s death until it regains possession.
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