A Tribeca social club feud has spilled into court, with Maxwell Social Club accusing neighbors of years of complaints and retaliation.
Maxwell Social Club’s Tribeca social club feud has escalated into a fresh legal fight, with the private venue accusing neighboring residents and its co-op board of teaming up to push it out through repeated complaints to city agencies.
The club, which charges $12,000 to join and has drawn names including Reese Witherspoon, Brooklyn Beckham, David Letterman, Blake Lively and Julia Fox, says the dispute has already cost it millions in fines, legal fees and lost business. In a lawsuit filed July 19 in Manhattan Supreme Court, owners Kyle Chaning-Pearce and David Litwak said former Merck executive vice president Roger Perlmutter, his wife Joan Kreiss and others have filed “baseless” complaints for years because they cannot tolerate the noise that comes with the venue’s events. The club also says the co-op board has refused for 17 months to approve repair requests tied to the space.
Perlmutter serves on the co-op board, and the complaint says his family’s fight with Maxwell began soon after the club opened in 2023. The suit claims Kreiss objected to issues involving cooking and ductwork and urged the board to push the club toward quiet programming, even suggesting meditation sessions. Maxwell says it submitted two soundproofing plans in 2024, but the board did not meaningfully respond. The board, for its part, had already rejected the club’s ductwork repair plan in October 2024, according to the filing.
The business is facing a separate challenge from the co-op itself. In a Manhattan Supreme Court lawsuit filed in October 2025, the board said Maxwell had not lived up to the low-key image it allegedly promised and instead became a loud event space that turned into a nightclub most weekends and even on weekdays. The board is seeking at least $1.5 million in damages, wants the lease voided and has asked that the club be barred from staying open past 10 p.m. The complaint includes photos showing crowds outside, trash in the area and a person vomiting onto the street.
“A Tribeca social club feud has spilled into court, with Maxwell Social Club accusing neighbors of years of complaints and retaliation.”
One resident on the second floor, directly above the club, described summer weekends as loud and chaotic in court papers, saying bass-heavy music and late-night shouting followed the events as patrons left. People who live and work nearby gave mixed reactions to The Post, with one nearby worker, Sarah, saying the block is often messy in the morning and can get rowdy.
City records add another layer to the Maxwell Social Club feud. The city’s 311 system shows 104 complaints at the building’s location over the three years the club has operated there, including 73 noise complaints, 14 sanitation complaints and three reports of rats. The Department of Buildings said the club itself has received four complaints since opening, with accusations that it operated without proper permits and illegally cooked food and used the cellar. Three of those complaints were dismissed and one is still under investigation.
Police were also called to the club 45 times since it opened, according to the NYPD, with 13 of those calls tied to noise. Maxwell has separately sued another resident, Lucy Flieger, over complaints it says were meant to obstruct and damage its operations. The legal fights show how a high-end social club can become a flashpoint when upscale nightlife collides with apartment living in one of New York’s most densely packed neighborhoods. For American readers, the case is a reminder that property rights, quality of life and the limits of city enforcement often meet in the same small block — and the next court rulings will decide how far Maxwell can keep operating.
Frequently asked questions
What is Maxwell Social Club accusing neighbors of doing?
The club says neighbors, including Roger Perlmutter and Joan Kreiss, filed repeated complaints to city agencies and the co-op board to pressure it shut down.
How long has the dispute been going on?
According to the lawsuit, the conflict began after Maxwell opened in 2023 and has continued for years.
What do city records show about the building?
The city’s 311 system lists 104 complaints at the location over three years, including noise, sanitation and rat reports.
What does the co-op board want?
The board has accused Maxwell of becoming a loud private nuisance and has sought to void the lease and stop the club from staying open past 10 p.m.
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