Trump’s Real Estate in the Shredder.

My sister-in-law lives in a New York City apartment in a building that was designed, constructed, and now managed by one of the New York real-estate machers whose name is on a little wall plaque next to the front door. She lives around the corner from an apartment house of the same size built, owned, and operated by Donald Trump.

Trump’s name is on the front of his building, but instead of it being a 24-inch-wide sign stuck on the wall, his name sits above the fourth story of the building, stretches all the way across the front of the apartment house, consists of extra-large lettering that can be seen from all over the place and lights up at night.

Are the apartments in my sister-in-law’s building as expensive as the apartments in the Trump building next door? I don’t know, but this is the issue which is the crux of the matter in the case brought against Trump by the New York AG, who is claiming that Trump fraudulently overvalues his properties which gets him more favorable loan terms and increases his profits.

Trump, on the other hand, argues that his name is a brand which not only creates more market value for his properties, but also gives owners of properties bearing his name a higher return when and if they decide to sell. His legal team has crafted a defense which is based on the idea that Trump finds value and greater value…