Thursday, June 19, 2008

Judge Judy Shows No Real Estate Modesty

She may look and act like a grumpy grandma from Grand Rapids, but according to the always entertaining doyenne of celebrity gossip Cindy Adams, judgmental judge Judy Sheindlin lives like a damn queen.

And we don't mean the sort of queen who sews plastic beads on a thrift store gown for the big gay pride parade, we mean the sort of queen whose brand spanking new 24,000 square foot mega manse in ritzy Greenwich, CT includes 8 bedrooms, 13 bathrooms with gold plated fixtures, 10 hand carved fireplaces, 26 foot ceilings, a guard house, gate house, guest house and a pool house. There is also a home thee-ay-ter for 50, a wine cellar, a conservatory, a massage room, play room, game room, a state of the art home gym and an obscenely large 3,150 square foot master bedroom that features an adjacent "snoring room," an unusual feature Your Mama feels certain the Dr. Cooter wishes he had too.

All of that is impressive and jaw dropping to be sure, but somebody bring Your Mama the smelling salts because according to the decorator, the main house uses 500 light bulbs. No puppies, Your Mama did not mistakenly add a zero. It's five hundred. Your Mama hasn't used 500 damn light bulbs in our lifetime and this ladee put 500 in a single house? Well, at least we know she won't have any trouble paying for all that wattage because according to Forbes, the heavily syndicated judge rakes in more than $30,000,000 per year. (Miz Adams says it's an even more impressive $42,000,000, "give or take a few bucks.")

The new Sheindlin feifdom in the Greenwich back country is hardly the only piece of luxury real estate Judge Judy and her huzband Judge Jerry own. Prop records show the bench warmers purchased a Naples, FL condo in July of 2005 for $6,900,000 and they reportedly own a pied a terre in New York City as well as a good sized yacht dubbed Her Honor, natch. The granny gazillionaire, who films her tawdry television show in Los Angeles, reportedly commutes to work by private jet.

51 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think I read her condo in FL was over 10,000 sq. feet.

Anonymous said...

I just counted up the number of light bulbs in my house. It is 29, including two in the fridge.

Anonymous said...

$40 Million?!?!

I think in my new apt. we have 23 light bulbs including the recessed ceiling. My apt. last year had 6 total.

pch said...

I doubt the interior designer is going to be pleased about the asides (and the "sighed" characterization) that Miss Adams chose to use as quotes. He comes off like a condescending chump, when he probably spent most of the interview praising Scheindlin and the project...

chris said...

"Tawdry" is right. Also obnoxious, offensive, insulting, overbearing, nasty, hateful and almost anything else you could throw at her. I watched a few shows and stopped. I don't enjoy seeing a bitch bully people mercilessly for profit.

Anonymous said...

When exactly did the American Dream become "Conspicuous Consumption"? I have no idea who this is, but find it sad that for so many it seems to be about getting rich so we can expand our carbon footprint.

StPaulSnowman said...

toad in a castle

Anonymous said...

What does an old couple like Sheindlin and her hubby need such a gargantuan place for? Ridiculous, though I guess to each their own, if she can afford it more power to her. Hell, maybe she's trying to be smart and thinks she's picking up a palace at a discount while the market sucks and plans on flipping the place to some hot-shot Wall Streeter once things turn around again (of course, the nay sayers will now come out and say "things are never going to turn around, the sky is falling..." LOL ;-)

Anonymous said...

I'll have to go count my bulbs (LOL)...I probably have more than I want to admit, because I have a lot of recessed lighting...don't even want to think about how many bulbs there are at my winter home in Savannah, I think there's at least 18 in the great room alone...yikes! Something you never think about 'til someone like Mama comes along and points it out...;-)

Anonymous said...

I love Judge Judy. She can have as many damn lightbulbs as she damn well wants. Her family is huge, so I'm not surprised that she went for a mega estate. She works hard for her money, she's an original, so she treats herself right! Rock on Judge Judy!

Rhea said...

Nobody deserves to make that much money. I just hope she is charitable with some of it.

ms_wonderland said...

Her bedroom is 4 times the size of my whole house. That must be why i only have 17 lightbulbs.

Sebastian said...

is there images of the house anywhere?

Anonymous said...

Did Judge Judy raze the house she and her husband already own at 45 Farwell Ln in Greenwich to build this larger one. I was surprised yo momma didn't mention this home they already own thru their QSS LLC in Greenwich that has 6 beds, 6 baths and is 7,249 sq ft.

Anonymous said...

Radar Online says: "Judge Judy and her husband (for the second time!) Jerry Sheindlin (formerly of The People's Court) spent $40 million from February to May, razing and rebuilding their Greenwich, Connecticut, home."

http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2008/06/judge-judys-greenwich-folly.php

Anonymous said...

She may be a bitch in the courtroom but I watched her get interviewed on Ellen & she seemed really lovely .. As for her earning $40M annually - big deal, many celebrities earn way more than that & once you step over into the business world $40M isn't very much so how people can bash her for earning that amount of money is beyond me.

Anonymous said...

i see "gold plated" & i think sadam hussein or donald trump.

Anonymous said...

47.

Anonymous said...

...47.

Anonymous said...

She deserves everything she gets for the show; bless her, but she really is a bully. And her face looks like my wallet.

Anonymous said...

not sure if this is the remodeled version or not.
nice lot tho.
http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/38336/view/?service=1

Anonymous said...

No, Caveman. That is the home that got razed. That home is 7,249 feet. The new one is 24,000.

Anonymous said...

yup, teardown would be my first thought with that property, jk.

the rebuild is 3x bigger, gotta love it.

chris said...

I really regret to see bullying, nastiness, ridicule and psychological abuse rewarded with big dough, and it says something about the state of US society that people approve. Needless to say, I could be sweet and nice when playing myself if I made 30 million+ a year, but I would not like myself if I did it by being nasty and abusive to other people.

Anonymous said...

I LOVE Judy. She is fierce, you go girl. I saw her in Little Italy once, coming out of a stretch limo in 2001. Who even goes in them any more besides prom people?

Anonymous said...

http://www.ebaumsworld.com/soundboards/play/1835/

YOU MUST!!!

lil' gay boy said...

Hey, if the American public is willing to give her the credence to make that kind of money, more power to her; after all, this is the land where one can constantly re-invent oneself.

Having said that, it is also true that money never buys class.

Anonymous said...

If you really think about it 500 lightbulbs isn't that much especially when you are talking about a 24,000 sq ft house.

My house is about 3500 sq ft and after just taking the a minute to think it out.. between recessed lighting, under cabinet lights, accent lights in niches & nooks, laps for decoration, wall sconces, etc etc. I have about 120 light bulbs throughout the house.

The way new homes are designed typically encorperates lots of lights to set different moods. It's not like we turn every light on at the same time.

Anonymous said...

And that number shoots up dramatically if I included exterior lights like soffet lighting, the lighted trees / landscaping, pool lights, etc.

Alessandra said...

While I personally find it ridiculous and excessive, Judge Judy is free to do whatever she wants. I don't even begrudge her the salary, as she earns it.

That said, I wish she'd done something different. She's always trying to teach the litigants in her courtroom a lesson; it would have been interesting to see her purchase a smaller home with more environmentally-friendly features and use that as a soapbox for doing good in the world.

But whatever. She has a lot of money and she's spending it. I'll bet there are some very happy contractors in Greenwich right now.

Anonymous said...

anyone else find it weird that her neighbors driveways connect beyond their respective gates??

http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=41.11168066045292~-73.68554547429086&style=a&lvl=19

click birds-eye

so_chic_darling said...

She may have a big crazy house that I would love to see photos of but as far as I can tell she didn't steal any of her money from anyone so she's free to blow it on gold plated faucets and whatever she wants right?

Anonymous said...

All thoughts of Judy herself and her money aside, I have to agree with Cindy Adams on this.

But . . . still . . . why?

24,000 square feet of living space is a monument to the ego, but I wouldn't want to live in one myself.

Anonymous said...

oops 70 and counting....... it's a good thing I'm using the "new bulbs" in most.

Anonymous said...

She regularly stays at a BH Hotel where I work when she's in town to film.

She's a very um.... demanding guest.

Unknown said...

She and Martha Stewart are BFF's and Martha went on a cruise on their yacht last year. I saw the pics. That tub is HUGE.

Unknown said...

27 light bulbs in our entire house, and not one of them incandescent. Who knew?

Anonymous said...

Why is everyone hating on the size of this house? With this crappy, economy, especially in the area of building and design, Judy is giving a $40M boost. Not to mention the extra taxes she now has to pay on the manse.

But I read somehwere that Greenwich home prices are priced extremely higher than somewhat surrounding areas like Westchester and NJ, because their taxes are much much lower because all the commerce in Greenwich. Like, a $40 M house in Greenwich would be $25M in Bedford, cause the taxes would be double or triple.

Anonymous said...

6:31, my take is that Judge Judy owned this property previously, had the original house she lived in there demolished, and spent $40 million in the last 2 years on new construction which included building a new home and developing her property. The logical conclusion I draw from this is that the tax rate anywhere in the outlying area surrounding NYC would have relatively little effect those new construction costs.

Anonymous said...

Fierce!

Anonymous said...

I'm at 91 bulbs without counting any low voltage landscape lighting. But I'm with the person who said they don't turn them all on at the same time. We have dimmers everywhere and rooms with lamps and recessed but one one or the other is on at any given time. I'd say only on the average evening, less than 20 get used.

As for Judge Judy the show, it wouldn't pay her that kind of money if people weren't tuning in. The people that go on the show know what they are getting into. And it has spawned how many imitations? Those shows are like the Jerry Springer show. The "losers" who appear on them make you feel better about your own lot in life (well, most of us. those shows might hit too close to home for some people, lol).

I too have see Judy appear at a charitable function "out of character" and she was very nice. "Judy Judy" is an act for entertainment value. Now those people who go on the show....some of that seems real.

Anonymous said...

i can't count all the bulbs in the pinball machine can I? megagazillions! those new light bulbs are funding the Chinese army and are HAZZARDOUS!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Tv59PJ30WeM

Anonymous said...

Someday a real rain will come and wash all the scum off the streets-- the hookers, the junkies... and the irritating old bags posing as arbiters of justice

Anonymous said...

Why are u all so concerned how many bulbs she has? Sounds like some of u have some blown out bulbs. Don't hate on the rich, just try & join them. I say watch her show, she will keep your attitude going. I try not to miss her show & u know what u r facing before u go face 2 face w/her........go JJ...u roc!!!

Anonymous said...

She may be over the top at times, but she sure has a way of putting people in their place. She has obviously worked hard for her money and can do whatever she wants with it. However, I agree with an earlier comment and hope her money does not cloud her judgement on what really matters. She will be accountable to a higher power one day, just like the rest of us.

Anonymous said...

Good or her! She works hard&has a big family , & millions of dollars. Whats she guna do , leave it in her wallet? I would have done the same thing. GO JUDY!

Anonymous said...

Good person at heart,
became tough because life schooled her, she deserves respect and has earned her position financially, may we all do the same.

Anonymous said...

I think Judge Judy is great. She says things that we all wish we had the nerve to say, the truth. Those people who complain are jealous because they don't have her kind of money. Though I must admit that many light bulbs is ridiculous ( I hope they're at least energy savers.)

Anonymous said...

Virtual globetrotting

Anonymous said...

Yah rock on i love judge judy shes a wonderful person

Anonymous said...

I RESPECT HER FOR THE CONTROLL SHE HAS OVER HER COURTROOM BUT, I THINK IT IS DISGUSTING HOW SHE CALLS PEOPLE STUPIED AND ALSO MAKES FUN OF THEIR LOOKS AND ALSO THE WAY SHE KEEPS TELLING PEOPLE HOW SMART SHE IS, IS SHE TRYING TO CONVINCE HERSELF???????