Trump SoHo buyers sue over inflated sales claims

Fifteen buyers at the Trump SoHo hotel-condominium filed a federal fraud lawsuit alleging Trump Organization partners falsely touted that the tower was 30 to 60 percent sold when fewer than 15 percent of the 391 units had binding contracts. The complaint accuses Donald Trump, his children, and development partners Bayrock and Sapir of fabricating sales data in marketing pitches and media interviews to induce buyers to sign million-dollar contracts for units they otherwise would have avoided. Plaintiffs seek to rescind their purchases, recover deposits, and collect damages, arguing Trump's team misrepresented core facts about the project to inflate prices and protect financing.

"They had a concerted and consistent pattern of lying about the numbers of units sold." — Attorney Adam Leitman Bailey describing the complaint on Aug. 2, 2010